Searching Through The Stars
by Calypso Diangelos
Summary: Irons paints illusions as he once again tries to control Sarah, but there are some illusions even he cannot distinguish from reality. This is the sequel to Les Yuex de le chat.
1. Exiles

Searching through the stars 

Searching through the stars 

Calypso

Sequel to Les Yuexs de le chat 

Pairing: None involving the Original characters

Disclaimer: Witchblade and its characters are the property of TNT and it's affiliates. (I think) Well, whomever they belong to, they do not belong to me; I claim no ownership of anyone save Callie, Luka, and P.J.A. Tech.

Rating: PG

Summary: Irons paints illusions as he once again tries to control Sarah, but there are some illusions even he cannot distinguish from reality. This is the sequel to Les Yuex de le chat. 

Authors note: Les Yuex de le chat was supposed to be a lone standing piece, but after some debate I've decided I might turn it into a trilogy. This is an ALTERNATE REALITY BRANCHING FROM AFTER EPISODE THREE. The quotes in this are from Tennyson, Poe, and Juvenal – I may throw Virgil in for variety but that's unlikely for the time being. 

****

Technical notes:

1) I don NOT speak Italian or French, blame any mistakes on Altavista translator.

2) Onica is pronounced Veronica minus the v-e-r or Annika.

3) I've never been to New Zealand the information I have here is from a) an atlas or b) an almanac

Ch.1 - Exiles

****

Three months after the events of "Les Yuex de le chat'

For one solitary moment Jake McCarty flitted amongst the stars as if a fairy in some long forgotten garden. The sounds of waves crashing soothed the wounds that had been dealt his soul by a blade swift and deft as lightning. In the silent night with only the water, sand, and sky as witness Jake let the net of lies and persuasions that he'd kept over his heart go for the briefest of seconds. In that second though, he felt enough guilt and enough regrets to drag him down to the depth of the sea and entomb him there. 

Idly he wondered how long it would be until Sarah received the news, he hoped it would be soon because if it wasn't… taking a deep breath he banished all thoughts of the life that lay half a world away. A wave lapped at Jake's feet, alerting him that the tide had heightened. Checking the time Jake realized that he'd been sitting here for two hours, rising he took a final look at the solitary New Zealand night, then walked off into the darkness.

***

Callie gazed out the window of the airplane once again unseeing and numb at heart. For the past three months she had waited at the apartment her parents had owned in Vancouver under the name of Sarah Nottingham. To her though it seemed like eons since she'd left New York – pain filled eons, but eons none the less. Within days of being in Vancouver she'd realized Luka had been freed, so she'd hazarded e-mailing him, but week after week, month after month no reply came. In the end she was running out of funds and realized that he probably didn't want to see her after what she'd done. So she did what had become all too natural she packed a bag and bought a plane ticket. This time not for a place of her past, but a place where putting her past behind might happen. As the hours passed and the miles flew by, Callie kept her vigil, hoping that this time she would finally begin to heal.

***

Three weeks later – New York

Ian stood in Sarah's apartment, not quite sure what he should do. He knew she was crying because he could hear her sobbing into her pillow upstairs. He had hoped to speak to her, but she probably wouldn't want to listen, so placing what'd he came to deliver on the table he crept out and onto her fire escape. Watching her with compassion and sympathy as she finally fell into an exhausted sleep. Idly he wished he could tell her the one thing that would heal her grieving heart knowing all the while he couldn't.

Sarah slept the sleep of one in deep pain; of everything she'd suffered this year the news she'd received this morning had been the block that toppled her barely contained world, as she lay there her dreams moved in mysterious patterns. Carrying her back in time to this morning and further. 

The area out side of Sarah's office was swaying with the usual activity. All the usual suspects were doing all the usual things. Inside she leafed through her paper work a weary expression on her face, wondering when Jake would get back from his vacation, he was due back three days ago but apparently he'd prolonged his stay or some such. In any case he'd never appeared at the airport and though she was slightly irked because of it she hoped he was having a good time. A knock sounded on her door, glancing up she saw Dante standing with a very red eyed Vikki behind him. "Vikki what happened?" Sarah stood up immediately moving to the other woman ignoring Dante completely as he closed the door. 

"Detective Pezzini – I -." For once in his life Dante wasn't sure what to say, so he looked down at his shoes instead. " A few moments ago I received a phone call from the coast guard." Vikki began to sob slightly, "Apparently there was a boating accident a few days ago, this morning they found and identified a body – it was detective McCarty." The room suddenly seemed to freeze and Sarah got the feeling of slipping backwards in time a few seconds and hearing those horrid words again. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Vikki now sobbing full blast but it didn't register. She felt the blood drain from her face as images from her Periculum ran through her mind, then were replaced by memories of Jake. Dante kept talking but the words didn't register. Later she remembered the words "Difficult… case load… time off… funeral… California… family…. should be there…" At the time though she only felt an intense suffocation.

"I need air." Sarah had practically run out of the station, knowing that many curious eyes followed her, as she pulled her gloves on and got on her bike a memory flashed into her mind. It was the day Jake left, over the loud speaker they heard his flight announced, giving her a quick hug he took out his boarding pass. Then giving her a half smile he turned and she heard him murmur 'forgive me' the next second he was gone. Now it seemed, he'd be gone forever. 

Sarah sat straight up in bed, something she'd done a lot lately. Gasping slightly she wiped fresh tears off of her face. Glancing at the clock she blinked, thinking that she'd woke up half an hour before she'd gone to sleep, then realized that she'd probably slept for the last twenty three and a half hours. Getting up she realized that she still wore her work clothes chastening herself for it slightly she got up.

From the window outside of her Apartment Ian too awoke. He realized that he should have checked in with Irons hours ago but had been too concerned for Sarah to do so. Rolling the kinks out of his neck he remembered why Kenneth always reminded him not to sleep outside. Looking in he saw Sarah get up and grab a bathrobe. Deciding that a shower might not be a bad Idea, Ian got up and headed for home.

***

Sarah braided her hair in front on an open window hoping that the wind would blow away some of the signs of tears she'd shed the previous night. "Try some ice." Not bothering to turn around Sarah took in the comfort Danny's voice always gave her. He had been a pillar of strength and knowledge while he was alive, strangely enough even after his death he was much the same. (_If only that were enough_,)

She thought. (_Oh Danny! If only you'd never died.) " _We can't bring back the dead Sarah, no matter how much we want to." Now she turned, silently she wished she could hug him.

"I know Danny… But why? Why does everyone who gets close to me have to die?" Danny looked at her with sympathy, in his eyes she could also see regret.

"It wasn't your fault Sarah, he didn't die because of you." She was on the verge of tears again, she wanted to say that he would be just another picture on her table of the dead – then she remembered she didn't have a picture of Jake. Dismally she wondered if the dead photographed.

"Is he there Danny? With you?" Danny wanted to give her a straight answer, yes or no. It was simple really, but he couldn't.

"Irons once told you that perception lied. It was the truth Sarah." Sarah was about to ask what that had to do with anything, but at that moment the doorbell rang and Danny vanished. 

***

Feedback - It's the same deal as before, I get feedback I post daily. It's really a simple equation.


	2. Pride and Deceptions

2 – Pride and Deceptions

2 – Pride and Deceptions

New York 

Sarah opened her door to find Gabriel standing behind a vase of white roses and a box of pizza, bad as she felt this odd sight brought a small smile to her face. "Hi Pez. Can I come in?" Sarah waved him in and closed the door behind him. "Thanks, I was going to call to send my condolences but I figured you might not answer the phone." Handing the flowers to her Gabriel looked around. "I see I've been beat to the punch." 

"What?" Sarah furrowed her brow then saw him point to her kitchen table, on which lay a vase of yellow roses. Confused, she placed the white roses in her living room then went to her Kitchen. Beside the vase lay two envelopes. Both had the words 'To Sarah' written on them, one in a solid masculine hand, the other in a flourishing script. Opening the one written in script Sarah was annoyed and slightly surprised to find a letter and a plane ticket from Irons.

Dear Sarah,

I must express my deepest sympathies for your untimely loss. I know what it is to have something dear wrenched away from me. Know that if you _ever_ need anyone to speak to, or if you just wish for a quiet place to grieve my door is open. I have included plane tickets to California for the funeral knowing how little the police force pays.

Yours always,

Kenneth Irons

P.S. Vorschlag (and I) have felt your loss keenly, if you ever wish to return to your position here you need only ask.

Sarah's face showed her obvious disgust at the letter, noting how Irons was trying to capitalize off of Jake's death, as well as how he said 'some thing' rather then 'some one'. Muttering the word 'pig' under her breath Sarah opened the second envelope that she presumed was from Ian.

Sarah,

I know your pain is keen, but don't succumb to it.

I felt the same way once.

Good luck.

Ian

The note was brief, and it reminded Sarah of the last note she'd received from him. Although it contained no expensive gift, Sarah welcomed it ten times more then Irons false sympathy.

"Ah hem," Turning around Sarah remembered Gabriel. "Have you had dinner yet? Or would you like me to go next door with this pizza and tell them I'm a delivery boy." Sarah smiled gently, it didn't quite reach her eyes, and only then did Gabriel see how much death truly shadowed her.

***

New Zealand

Onica listened to the crash of the waves upon the sand and the orchestra playing somewhere up the beach, staring up at the stars she decided that the night was so romantic she could die from its beauty. She had been here barely a month and already the graceful splendor of the ocean and the night and captured her, holding her in its thrall.

"Amazing isn't it?" Onica heard behind her a voice that she'd listened to every night for the past two weeks. As she nodded assent the owner of the voice strolled up and sat beside her. The two had met by accident; she had found him asleep on the sand while high tide offered him a blanket of crashing waves. After that they had met after sundown everyday as if by mutual agreement. They would talk for hours, but neither pried into the others past or even asked for a name. Both seemed to have a keen understanding of pain and an all too real sorrow. In each other they'd found a friend, someone with whom they could sit in silence and stare out into the stars.

"Why lift the veil dividing

The brilliant courts of spring-

Where gilded shapes are gliding

In fairy colouring-

From age's frosty mansion,

So cheerless and so chill?

Why bid the bleak expansion

Of past life meet us still?"

The words came unbidden to Onica's mind and as she spoke them they became part of a game they played. When they wanted to discuss something they would quote a piece of prose or poetry and the other would guess at what they were thinking, sometimes the answers were so off and so amusing that they fell into laughter or amusement. But tonight Onica studied the profile of the blond haired man beside her and saw that he understood both her meaning and her mood.

"You're talking about memory." His voice was low, shadowed by his own past. "About the pain it brings." She nodded; the emotion of this poetical darkness had a type of yearning, and a demanding for the lifting of veils. 

"Tonight reminds me of love, and of betrayal." Onica stopped, remembering how for a long time those two emotions had been her closest companions. "Sudant tacita præcordia culpa." A small mirthless laugh was brought on by the quote, and Onica knew she had said something that struck a chord.

"My heart does sweat in its unspeakable guilt, because I was supposed to betray her… and in the end I almost did."

***

Kenneth Irons clung tightly to Ian's arm the injuries he had been dealt by Callie made physical therapy inevitable, but his pride refused to let anyone but Ian and his doctors see him struggle like this. Bitterly he thought how Callie would enjoy his pain, something he instantly regretted because of the surge of anger and emotion it brought up, emotion deprived him of the concentration he needed to continue, and slowed him down considerably. "Enough!" Seeing his mood Ian immediately brought Kenneth back to his wheelchair, knowing how he hated his helplessness. "At this rate I'll never be ready for the conference." Ian only stood still his eyes downcast, knowing that in his current mood Irons would never be pacified. "Maybe you should go… you know the business well enough. Or maybe I should send Sarah. If only she hadn't gone running back to her damned police work!" The last sentence was laced heavily with Sarcasm, but Ian knew the truth of the emotions behind it. Giving Irons time, Ian waited for the temper he'd built up to disperse. He would try again, it was that will to succeed that had gotten him where he was, and he wasn't about to give up any time soon.

***

Luka stared at his computer screen, and at the email he'd received long ago. It had taken him a month to figure out that she didn't return to her side because she couldn't, then two weeks to build up the nerve to open her email, a week later, he finally decoded the encryption's. Now it was too late. By the time he had finally been able to write Callie, he had found that she'd canceled her email account and left no other way for him to reach her. It had been a difficult four months for him, both in terms of business and life. The manor had felt empty without her, and work had taken its toll without her reassuring smile and ingenious plans. The deal with Vorschlag had gone on, but on a much smaller scale and all meeting had been dealt with through representatives, neither CEO feeling comfortable in the others presence. 

Luka's watch beeped, reminding him of his lunch date. He knew something important was up, all three of his brothers, Carlo, Gorgio, and Giulio from had left their businesses in the capable hands of their wives and come looking for him. The brothers were close to be sure, but they would never have left Palermo and Sicily, all at once unless it was something urgent, and urgent in his family literally meant life or death.

***

Ok, as with the previous story in this series I have no beta reader. When I'm done I read it over once or twice so you'll have to forgive any typos. And oh yeah, wheel's within wheels… that's a pretty accurate description of my writing. I just hope that when I reach the end everything comes together for the reader.


	3. Family

3 – Family

Come on people, please tell me there are more then six people reading this? Please? Pretty please?

3 – Family

Sarah took a deep breath and hugged herself slightly, staring up at the imposing house before her. It had been ages since she'd come to Irons' home, the memories of what had happened four months before still ran vivid in her mind. In fact she hadn't seen Irons since the incident except on police business. Pulling the airplane ticket out of the compartment behind her seat she walked to the door and knocked. At once it opened, the butler led her into Irons study where he sat in a large overstuffed chair. When he saw who his visitor was he was mildly surprised, but masking it well he greeted her with a smile. "Sarah! Welcome. I would give you a proper greeting, but I'm sure you remember that I can't."

Sarah returned Irons smile with a sardonic one of her own. "Right. I came to return this." Holding up the plane ticket she threw it on the table beside him. Languidly he picked it up, glancing inside.

"I don't see why. After all, you will need to attend the funeral – won't you?" Sarah stewed at Irons tormenting words she know full well that they were aimed at the part of Sarah Pezzini that blamed herself for all the deaths that occurred in her life, not for the first time she wondered why she put up with his constant arrogance. 

"Of course I will, but I don't need your money to do so." Sarah let disgust drip from her voice spinning on heels to leave as she did so. Partly because she wanted to leave, and partly because she didn't want him to see how deep his words had struck.

"Sarah wait." She halted; surprised that for once his tone wasn't haughty. "The ticket… I gave it to you because I needed a favor." When she didn't reply – or even move, he went on. "A week from now I'm leaving for a conference that's taking place on the other side of the world. It would ease my mind if I could leave my affairs here in New York in your capable hands."

Finding herself at a loss for words Sarah faced Irons once again, unable to control herself she then burst out laughing. "You expect me to buy that load of crap?" Sarah kept on laughing, not from amusement, but at his absurdity. "Irons you wouldn't do that. You'd be too afraid I'd find out more about the Witchblade. Besides I'm a cop, I've already got a job." With that she walked away, leaving Irons to stare into the fire on his own.

"Make sure she won't be able to find a flight to California. Since she's decided to waste a perfectly good first class plane ticket, she'll have to travel on my terms." Not bothering to look up Irons threw the ticket into the fire as Ian came out from where he was hidden. Bowing his head down Ian left the room without a word.

***

Luka sat deep in thought, rubbing the back of his left hand with the palm of his right. Around him his brothers Carlo, Gorgio, and Giulio sat looking at him, for the moment all the fine food that _Chanterelle's_ could offer would not have tempted the quartet, to them the matter at hand was far too important. "I should be the one to do it." The words were murmured with a gentle force and his brothers could tell there was no changing his mind. Carlo however seemed determined to try. "No Carlo, ascoltano I know you are the oldest, and I know this involves the entire family, but that is exactly why I am the right choice. Please fratello the decision is made." For a moment the oldest and the youngest of the Giamano family held a staring contest, finally Carlo gave in.

Gorgio and Giulio, twins, let out a collective breath of air. "Good. Then it is settled." Smiling Gorgio tried to move the somber conversation elsewhere for a little while. "Tell me piccolo fratello how is Calliope? The last time I called you, you said something about proposing to her. Should Sophia be expecting another sister to help spoil Carlo's son?" Immediately Luka's expression darkened.

"You didn't hear what happened did you?" Seeing his brother's expressions, he realized that they hadn't heard. "Four months ago Callie and I began a project with Vorschlag…" Luka told his story, and when by finished, he was fighting back tears. "I was blinded by my stupid pride – thinking that if she didn't come back even after I was cleared that she must've been too selfish to care, and by the time I worked up the nerve to read her message – she'd disappeared." Silence reigned for a few seconds, till it was broken by Giulio.

"We'll find her for you Luka. We'll find her. _Prometto."_ Luka looked as his other brothers nodded assent. _This_ was his family, and he thanked God that he had them. 

***

"Damn." Sarah hung up her phone in frustration. This was the fifth airline she'd called; it seemed that no one was flying to any airport within a sixty-mile radius of where Jake's funeral was being held anytime that day or the next. The one flight she _had_ found was completely booked. The funeral was supposed to start at ten o'clock tomorrow morning, and in her growing desperation she almost regretted flinging Irons' present back at him, on second thought however, she wondered if Irons had gotten all those flights canceled just to spite her. Two minutes later she was interrupted from flinging mental curses at him by the ringing of her cell phone. "Pezzini."

"Hello Sarah, If you still want to go to your partners funeral, start packing. My driver will pick you up in two hours." Irons hung up immediately he could almost _feel_ Sarah's glare through the phone. Unfortunately for her he held the upper hand. He did control six of southern California's eight local airports after all. More importantly he knew her, she wouldn't give up her only chance to attend Jake's funeral; her sense of duty would never let her do otherwise.

***

Ok, I shouldn't give hints like this, but when I said that there's no pairing on the first page I meant that no one gets together however….

1) If you're a Sarah/Jake fan stick around for ch. 7/8… things take a semi decided turn.

2) If you're an Ian fan please stay tuned for the next chapter.

Also, is this story getting predictable? If it is I may have to add a twist or two… maybe throw someone in oncoming traffic… we'll see.


	4. Rendezvous

Should it bother me that this is chapter four, and the plot still remains to be unvieled

Should it bother me that this is chapter four, and the plot still remains to be unvieled? Feedback please. You know the deal we made - and oh yeah, this one hasn't been proofed for typos. 

Also, is it just me or did they remove the link to Les Yuex de le chat. 

4 - Rendezvous

In Luka's study Gorgio listened carefully as his little brother told him what he'd need to know in order to run P.J.A in his place for the next few weeks. Gorgio's wife would take care of his holdings in Sicily for the amount of time he filled in for Luka. Inwardly he felt both pity and pride for his little brother, pity because he'd lost the one woman he loved, proud that he was about to take an impossible task head on. It was good that the brothers trusted each other again they all remembered a time when it wasn't so; a time in the not so distant past.

Six years ago Gorgio had called his brother nerveless because he refused to take a part in the family enterprise, Carlo similarly called him a dreamer when he started P.J.A. tech. But five years ago Luka's brothers finally saw his dream come true, and at last they had understood that it wasn't laziness or fear that stopped him from joining his brothers but vision and hope, and after all had been forgotten and mended, they had been introduced to Callie. She had been a major support beam in Luka's heart and his business, without her there Gorgio feared what might happen to him.

***

As the limo of Kenneth Irons pulled up in front of Sarah's apartment, Irons wondered if she would come this time. In the past she had never surrendered to his plans unless she was desperate, bitterly he remembered how he had so easily allowed her to use him as a means of getting to P.J.A. tech. Silently Ian slipped out of the limo to Sarah's door, after a few moments her door opened and she stepped out. Walking into the limo she got in to find that this wasn't the one he'd used when picking her up before, rather the seats in this one were far, far apart. Sarah found herself sitting next to Ian, and in the dim light she realized that a blanket covered Irons' lower body (_He hasn't recovered yet has he?)_ the thought struck some surprise into Sarah. He'd never seemed quite human to her until now, and now she saw that he was as weak as any other man was. That despite all the smoke and mirrors, some part of him was still human.

Turning to Ian, Sarah tried to hush the disquieting thoughts for they had blanketed her rage at his treatment of her with pity. "Ian," Sarah paused, surprised that she'd called him by his first name. "Thank you for the roses, and the card. I appreciated the gesture." besides her Ian's heart nearly stopped though his expression remained neutral. He could not remember the last time anyone had said a 'thank you' to him and actually meant it; he could never remember anyone using both his first name and a gentle tone with him in the presence of his master. Across from the two, Irons eyebrows shot so high that they almost hit his hairline. It suddenly occurred to him that the hatred Sarah had always projected towards him had been softened where Ian was involved, but how could that be? Ian was his strong right arm, as close to a son as he had. Did Ian's emotions toward Sarah involve loyalty as well? For once Irons was deeply troubled, and for once the one person he'd always gone to with his thoughts was someone he was unsure of.

***

Even at the other end of the car Ian felt Kenneth's gaze fall on him. Briefly he looked up, a question in his eyes. The harshness of the stare that was focused on him forced his head back down. He had seen Kenneth angry with him before, but never with this air of dubious hostility. A few months ago he wouldn't have cared, he would have been to wrapped up in his own anger at Kenneth but things had changed in the last four months, Kenneth had become more and more dependant on him, more open with him. For once in his life he had felt as if he were more then just a tool to Irons and while his anger and hatred still existed it had diminished considerably. Besides him Sarah felt the exchange take place, and turning her eyes to the window she wondered just how much harm her innocent comment of thanks had done.

***

New Zealand

Onica Kohl cheeked her appearance making sure that every strand of her Raven black hair was held firmly in place once more before heading out of her office. Reaching the end of the hallway she heard the secretaries whispering and giggling as one of them exited the conference room; intrigued she paused before turning the corner to listen. "Did you see him Dana?" 

"Oh yeah. Gorgeous blonde hair, lethal blue eyes, a physic to die for! If I weren't married I think I would've made a pass at him." The girls giggled again and Onica rolled her eyes. She recognized the voice that had spoken as belonging to the blonde secretary who worked reception, according to company scuttlebutt marriage vows did absolutely nothing to ease her predatory nature. "At this point I'm beginning to envy our new public relations person. Maybe she'll finally let on if she's human."

"Huh?" This was Karen, Onica's personal secretary, Onica found her a bit naive but fairly efficient.

"Yeah, she may be the Ice princess but any woman alive would notice him – at least if she were straight." Karen must have made some type of a face because the next thing Dana said was "Well yeah, I mean she didn't even look at Brad! I mean come on every woman in this building has probably eyed Brad at least once." Onica raised an eyebrow, while she realized that she was eavesdropping she was not at all flattered by what she heard. She knew she was called the Ice princess – around the office she was pure business, only smiling for the reporters and the bosses, not getting close to anyone she worked with. Yet Dana's presumptuousness was more then she could handle. After all, not all women went for the golden boy types. As she thought this a picture of a man with dark brown hair and grayish eyes surfaced. Fighting it back, as she did all links to her past she strode forward, making her presence known to the secretaries who feel silent immediately.

"Is the reporter from the Half Moon Chronicle here yet?" Even though she was addressing Karen it was Dana who she looked straight in the eye. 

"Yes ma'am, he's in conference room two." Onica nodded curtly then strode forward to the room Karen had named. Behind her she heard the two women whispering, speculating on just how much she'd heard. As she opened the door she cleared her throat to alert the man who stood at the window that she'd arrived, when he turned around however shock kept her from making formal introductions, after half a minute or so however it was he who broke the silence.

"You?!"


	5. Memories of Antiquity

Ok, I realize that to those of you who have given me feedback I've been very rude

Ok, I realize that to those of you who have given me feedback I've been very rude. So to thank you I'm posting two parts today. But if you want part seven before Monday…. Well, you get the idea.

5 – Memories of Antiquity

Four hours into flight Ian and the pilot were the only on the airplane still awake. Sarah and Kenneth had had another one of their confrontations upon boarding, at present they were at opposite ends of the cabin. Sarah slept fitfully in her seat, despite the fact that she had slept twenty-plus hours the previous day and had only been up for about six before the flight she was tired. As Ian watched her, he realized that she didn't even have a blanket. Moving quietly he took one out of the closet, before he could move however Kenneth's voice stopped him. "You'll only hurt in the end you know. It's who you are." For a moment Ian could not move as familiar rage surged through him, he didn't even bother wondering what Kenneth meant. Masking it however he turned around, passing the blanket into his waiting hands. 

Irons wheeled himself over to where Sarah slept, gently covering her with the blanket. As he tucked her in, his hands lingered for a second over her face as thoughts of another woman flooded his mind. As the time passed, he closed his eyes tuning instead what was reflected in Sarah's dreams.

In the dim light of a few scattered candles a sparsely furnished room with blackout curtains can be seen, soft laughter can be heard coming from the two figures sitting upon a blanket laid across the floor. From the back neither face can be seen, one of the figures is a well-built blonde man, even if he were sitting one would be able to tell that he is a solider. The other figure is a woman with brown hair wearing a dress suit. She was lying across his chest and he seemed intent upon tickling her, at any other moment they could've seemed an imposing pair, at the moment they looked less dangerous then silly. Between her laughter the woman pleaded for him to stop tickling her, and at last he relented. "You know Lis, I have a present for you."

"Oh?" She turned around then, but the man blocked her face from view.

"Yep. Thing is you'll have to find it." The woman raised an eyebrow, pushing away from him slightly.

"Really now? Hum… let's see." The woman tipped her head and wrapped her arms around his neck seductively. "What if… I convinced you to just hand it over?" He moved his head back then, looking down at her, after a moment of thought he relented. Unbuttoning his uniform he took out a black box tied with a red ribbon. Silently he handed it to her, as she opened it she smiled entranced. "It's beautiful."

"I know, it belonged to the Vatican but they traded it with Herr Hitler. I'm not sure why it's considered so valuable but when I saw it I decided that it would be far lovelier on you then in the Herr's display case." Taking a bracelet out of the box he placed it on his lovers wrist. She smiled then, and leaned up to kiss him, removing his uniform jacket as she did so. 

Sarah woke from the dream slowly, thinking that she was still asleep when she felt a hand on her face. "Now, now Sarah, we're almost there. It would hardly do for you to miss the funeral." At the sound of Kenneth's voice Sarah's eyes snapped open, transforming the bracelet into a gauntlet she pressed the flat side of its blade against his wrist.

"Get your hand the hell off of me." Inclining his head Irons removed his hand from her cheek reluctantly.

"You must forgive me, but when you sleep you look so much like Elizabeth… my darling, darling Elizabeth." Sarah's brow furrowed at his words… _his_ darling Elizabeth? As her dream came back to her she realized what she'd seen was Elizabeth Bronte's first contact with the Witchblade, and the man who's arms she'd been lying in was most definitely _not _Kenneth Irons. His demeanor had been far too gentle and playful and his back and arms were much better muscled. Not replying to Irons she wondered just who Bronte's lover was. He had seemed so oddly familiar... like someone from her own not so distant past

***

New Zealand

The door slammed shut behind Onica as her mind went blank. "What in hell -?" The two of them stood gazing at each other, both trying to think coherently but failing miserably. The two of them were friends of a form, confidants in darkness, strangers in light. Both too preoccupied by the past to want to become anything more. Never had it occurred to either of them that they might one day have to be met by daylight. Now that they were faced with what they had never thought possible amusement mingled with dread.

Erik stared, he knew he did but it didn't matter. Dimly he realized that though he had poured his heart out to her he didn't even know her name, as he did so, his mind finally began to move again. She looked different by daylight, she had her hair pinned up in Greek fashion rather then let down around her shoulders. Instead of her usual sandals and casual ensembles or summer dresses she wore a fashionable business suit of dove gray with matching high-heeled shoes. She looked older, less innocent and fragile, and above all far removed from everything around her. It was hard to describe but some how she gave an aurora of frost… as if she were surround by an invisible but equally impenetrable wall ice.

Still standing across the room Onica nodded, at what she knew not, but she did. In his business attire Erik was most definitely did not give off the notion that was a casual going easy to talk to type of guy as he did in casual clothing. In fact in the bright light of day Onica even noticed a slightly haunted expression, one that she wouldn't have seen had it not so often plagued her own face. "So I take it you're a reporter." It wasn't a question but a statement Erik answered anyway.

"Yeah I am." Suddenly he laughed. "I can't believe we never considered the possibility that our jobs might bring us together. You know, I always thought we were two intelligent people… now I'm not so sure." The awkwardness passed and Onica found herself able to think again, slanting her eyes she broke into a grin.

"Hey, you're the one who never asked what I did for a living. Don't blame it on me." Motioning him to a seat she sat down herself and at last introductions were made. Business was brought up and Erik conducted his interview.

Little more then half an hour later they had fallen back into familiar roles. As business was concluded the two of them left the conference room and said their good-byes and headed in opposite directions. As Onica instructed Karen to give her ten minutes to prepare for her next meeting Erik doubled back and paused beside her. "Oh by the way, you are still coming tonight aren't you?" Seeing Karen's eyes grow wide Onica decided to send the company gossips scurrying in shock.

"Of course, I always do don't I?" A few of the people passing in the hall slowed their paced a bit. Could it be? Was the Ice princess actually _grinning_? 

"Good." Erik flashed a smile as he spoke, and as if on cue she leaned forward and gave him a hug. He hadn't expected this, but while slightly surprised he hugged her in return. "Onica, It's a beautiful name." He murmured into her ear before letting go.

"Bye Erik." They separated once again, and as Onica moved down the hall she could hear Karen franticly picking up the phone.

"Dana! You are not going to believe this one."


	6. Aiding and Manipulating

6 – Aiding and Manipulating 

6 – Aiding and Manipulating 

As Kenneth Irons' personalized Cessna Citation Bravo flew gracefully through the air, Sarah Pezzini fought back apprehension, fearing how Jake's family would receive her. When Danny died his family had not looked kindly upon her. In her heart she understood that it wasn't because they blamed her, but rather that she was a cop, and like all cops would be a representation of everything dangerous about his occupation. At times, Danny had probably spent more time with her then with his family and now that he was dead, it wasn't them, but her in whose life he still remained. "It'll be ok Pez." Besides her she heard Danny's voice and rather then speaking to him she directed her thoughts at him. "I'm here because I have to be. Believe it or not you need me more then my family." He fell silent as she studied his reflection in her window, the next voice she heard was Ian's.

"Sarah, it is time to eat." Sarah wasn't hungry, but nodded anyway. At this point in time anything was better then the void within which her thoughts dangled.

***

Erik cursed his luck as he left the interview, things were definitely _not_ going as planned, according to his superiors he needed to get into the computer mainframes of Excelsior Biotechnology's within the week. Six days ago Excelsior had sent a series of secured electronic messages to some of the most powerful men in the country, no one seemed able to crack the messages but someone had decoded a date. Unfortunately time was running short as a number of those men were scheduled to arrive shortly, desperate for information they had sent him to look for and obtain information – using any means possible. As things sometimes went however fate had played a game with him and now obtaining that information meant possibly betraying Onica, and more importantly learning that like him, she wasn't who she seemed to be.

For now though, what he had gotten would satisfy his employers at the news paper company in which he worked. He'd never been a reporter, and frankly it wasn't an occupation he wanted but it was a useful front, and for the moment it was one he definitely needed.

***

Kenneth picked at his food as Sarah pushed hers around her plate. His eyes were on her and hers were on the food. It could've been comical save for the intense glance of one and the tautness in the other. Finally Kenneth broke the silence, saying what had been on his mind the entire meal. "Sarah, would you please tell me what's wrong?" 

"What?" Sarah's head snapped up in shock as she heard the question Irons asked. She wasn't so much bothered or surprised by what he said, rather his choice of words, not to mention the gentleness of his tone. "I mean, it's pretty obvious what's wrong. My partner is dead. My **second** partner in six months - is dead, do you even have to ask?" her words were laced heavily with sarcasm and despairing ire, oddly though Irons returned none of it.

"That's not what I meant Sarah, something more then loss is troubling your heart." He paused closing his eyes as if mentally feeling for something. "Something more like loneliness." Her eye's flashed, thinking that he was about to once again try to capitalize off of her loss, this time however she was wrong. "No Sarah, listen. You're not alone, you have many people there to comfort you, Elizabeth, Joan, Cathain, in fact you have Ian too, even me if you'd only let me break through. I know that you were close to – to my daughter. Closer then I was at least." Irons attempted a smile, but for once his mask of composure fell away and any remark Sarah would've made was cut off by the remorse she saw in his eyes. "Callie… how like her mother she is, she truly has the fire of a blade welder." Irons stopped, as if shaking off a feeling. "You can contact any one of them using the Witchblade Sarah. You can project a dream of experience one of theirs. Share a memory, or send a message. You're aware of this ability. Now you must learn to weld it. try closing your eyes, hold an image of the Witchblade in your mind, then an image of the person who's mind you want to touch, merge the two images if you can, then you must call out to them."

Sarah was dumbfound that Irons was giving her information without her having to badger it out of him, and dubious as she was, her need to learn control of the Witchblade was greater. Closing her eyes she did as instructed, reaching for the one person who might answer her questions. (_Elizabeth…? I need your help_… _I need guidance… Elizabeth?) _For a moment there was an impossible void of silence, then a voice. "I'm here Sarah, do not despair or grieve, instead be weary." Surprised, Sarah's concentration broke. So it had worked, her left hand automatically went to her wrist, rubbing the Witchblade through her sleeve.

"Was I -?" Sarah remembered whom it was she was speaking to as Irons eyes bore into her intently, and as they did so she suddenly lost her eagerness to speak. "Never mind, listen we only have about an hour until we land correct?" He nodded. "Then if there's a midair phone I can use I should probably make plans for after we land. I mean you picked me up at my apartment around 9:30 PM. We were stuck in traffic for an hour. At 11:00 we took off, so we should get to California around 5:00 a.m. give me half an hour to get from the airport to Capitola and I still have four hours to go until the funeral."

Kenneth nodded, he had expected this, and in fact he had already reserved the Princess suite for Sarah at the only hotel in town. "If you wish, however I have already made reservations for you at the Capitola Venetian Hotel. The cost is of course on me." Whatever bit of goodwill Sarah had felt for Irons' volunteering of information suddenly dropped out of the airplane.

"Right. What the hell made you think I'd follow plans _you_ made for me?" Sarah glared as Irons smiled with the natural arrogance he wore far too well.

"Because it's the only hotel short of Santa Cruz, and unfortunately at this time of year finding a room will be difficult." Sarah didn't reply. Instead she spent the rest of the flight thinking up ways to kill or further maim Kenneth Irons.


	7. Pranks, Parties, and Memories

Ok folks, read the following hints at your own risk:

Ok folks, read the following **hints** at your own **risk:**

1) If you're **not** a Sarah/Jake person read the funeral then skim lightly over the rest. 

2) If you are a Jake and Sarah fan then I hope you can sit through the funeral and get to the bold, then if you decide you want more review this!!! Or I'll stop writing.

3) **If you hate it when I give these hints PLEASE TELL ME**.

7 – Pranks, Parties, and Memories

Sarah removed her sunglasses as she stepped out of the car she had rented and onto Capitola state beach. Jake's family had gotten special permission to hold the funeral here they had cremated his body so his ashes could be let out over the water. Glancing around at the people already there, Sarah walked towards a group of people by the minister. One of the woman, her arm rested heavily on a man beside here was being comforted by the minister, it was this woman that she addressed "Mrs. McCarty?" 

The woman turned to Sarah, her face heavily veiled, but even so the tears that streaked it were easily seen. When she looked up, recognition lighted her tear filled eyes. "Sarah!" She nodded, surprised that Jake's mother recognized her so easily. "It's so good of you to fly all the way out here from New York. Jake would've been glad." She stopped speaking for a moment, over come with emotion, Sarah too suddenly felt a stab of pain, wishing she hadn't placed her sun glasses in the car. "Come, I insist that you sit with the family. He would've liked that."

Sarah followed the woman, too startled to say much. She wondered just how close his family thought they were, how close Jake had thought they were. Moments later the service started.

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. _Isaiah 41:10 _These are the words of our lord, words of comfort and wisdom. As we gather here today to bid farewell to a friend, a beloved son, and relative. It is important that we keep gods words close to heart…" The minister spoke and all listened, and as they did, Sarah hoped he was right. Hoped that unlike those he had left behind, Jake was in a truly better place, a place of peace, and a place of rest.

When all the words had been spoken, and all the farewells said, someone handed Jake's mother the urn containing his remains, Sarah had expected her to stumble, to cry. Instead she stood rigid. Opening the urn and letting the wind catch drift of what lay inside. When she spoke, her voice was strangely calm. "Dear father, may your son rest amongst the clouds of heaven, and may he always look down upon those who will miss him most." 

"Amen."

***

Several hours later Sarah sat alone on the beach, clutching a white box to her as if by doing so she could bring him back to life. It was a box of effects Jake had left her, something for which his brother had personally flown out to New York to retrieve. Finally she gathered enough courage together and opened it. Everything inside of wrapped. Something in a manila envelope, a white box in bubble wrap, and an elongated objet in brown wrapping paper. 

Picking up one lumpy shape she unwrapped it to find one of Jake's Surfing trophies, on the bottom was a post it: "_I know they aren't the Vanderbilt jewels, but I hope you like it anyway_." Sarah remembered his reaction to said jewels, then gave the trophy a hug before putting it down and picking up the manila envelope.

Reaching her hand in she pulled out a slim white album of about thirty photos with the name 'Sarah'

Engraved on front in gold. As tears threatened to break through she opened it; the first was a picture of herself holding a pool stick with one hand and pocketing something with the other, a slight expression of amusement on her face. Looking closer she saw that the Witchblade was not on her wrist, so the photo must have been taken prior to Danny's death. Flipping the page she found a picture of Jake surfing. In the picture his long blond hair shown in the sun, making him look entirely too goofy for Sarah's tastes. Opposite of it was one of her sleeping on his couch, her hair was tousled and her legs were hung over the back of the sofa. If McCarty weren't dead, he would've been for taking that photo. As she flipped through the Album a ghost of a smile began to play across her face. Most of the pictures were taken without her knowledge but each one held a memory. They had been taken over the course of months and stored with the utmost care. There was even a photo of her in the guise she wore to badlands on the Isaac Sullivan case.

In the entire Album there were only three pictures of Jake, one of him surfing, one she'd taken of him cooking, and one which she mentally dubbed the '**Too much Table Wine and Mistletoe Toe Christmas Prank'** in bold. At the sight of it she couldn't help but think back to the night it'd been taken.

~ "Pezzini! McCarty! You made it!" Detective Tommy Burgess' heavily slurred words were the first thing besides the light to assault the two as they walked through the door of Mackenzie's pub, both had just come off of a 15 hour shift two days before Christmas. "Now look up!" Jake and Sarah did so as the Camera shutters snapped then simultaneously groaned. Over the doorway hung mistletoe galore.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Was the calmest most non-violent reaction she could manage. Besides her Jake looked down and avoided her eyes. It had been at his insistence that Sarah had come to the precinct's annul Christmas party. Normally Sarah made sure to have other plans, sometimes with Danny, sometimes with fictional family members, this time however Jake had ambushed her and dragged her kicking and screaming. Up until the second they arrived she'd prayed for someone to call in a murder so she could get out of this.

"They aren't Pezzini," At the bar Dante turned towards them. "They forced me to kiss Orlinsky when we got here. Even after I threatened to break them down to traffic cops. Now it's your turn." Dante had purposely spoken loudly so that most of the people around him heard. Quite suddenly Sarah and Jake found themselves at the receiving end of far too many stares. Sarah could only glare at Dante as Jake felt himself turn more then a little red.

"Oh just kiss her already McCarty!" This time it was Vikki's heavily intoxicated shouting that came from across the room. As the two in the doorway felt more eyes turn o them they faced each other. Sarah lifted her eyebrows and shrugged, it wasn't as if she'd never kissed him before, but that was to help a case. Besides, this time they had an audience. Leaning forward she placed a very chaste closed mouth kiss on Jake's lips. Then turned, bowed, and walked away as catcalls of "you call that a kiss?" flew at her from all directions.

For the rest of the evening Sarah chatted, drank slightly, and hustled pool. She noticed at one point that in her pleather pants, black turtleneck, and leather jacket she was the only woman in non-festive clothing. Ten minutes after she made that observation she confiscated the keys of a certain detective on his sixth glass of wine, glad that she'd left her bike at home today.

At the end of the evening she drove Jake home, helping him upstairs when he seemed too intoxicated to remember how to stick a key in a lock. "You know Sarah, I think Tommy was right." Jake said as she unlocked the door to his apartment and deposited him on his couch." 

"About what?" Barely paying attention to the words Sarah hunted for a free spot on the coat rack. After all, he'd been sputtering nonsensical sentences all evening. 

"That really wasn't a kiss." Sarah turned around to find him suddenly very, very close. Suddenly he seized her arms and kissed her, prying her mouth open with his tongue. For a few seconds she felt pure shock, thinking only that for someone who was drunk he sure was stealthy – and coordinated. (_He's not a bad kisser.)_ Also came to mind, but where from she didn't know, as he pulled away he leaned towards ear, "_Tha_t was a kiss."

Finally regaining her composure Sarah pushed him away. Only the amount of alcohol in his system kept her from punching him. Turning bright red Sarah only muttered "Get to bed." Before disappearing into the guestroom. The next morning Jake had been at first too hung over to remember much when he did however, he had gone out of his way to apologize to her - _for fourteen days straight_. For two weeks she hadn't had to cook or open a door outside of her apt, even her paperwork got suspiciously low. Finally she considered aggravated assault just to get him to stop, luckily however he was one step ahead of her and stopped just on time.

On Christmas morning Sarah had woken up thinking someone had broken into her apartment, only rather then stealing things, they had apparently chosen to leave things, namely Christmas tree's of various sizes, (all under three feet,) tinsels, decorations, and presents. Even the stairs had apparently been decorated. In her living room Sarah found a limp form on her couch, turning it around, she found Jake sound asleep. Just as she had been about to wake him a gentle 'meow' had caught her attention, and under the largest Christmas tree, Sarah had found a snow-white kitten. ~

Over time Sarah had gotten fonder of Snowflake then she'd thought possible, Jake too had grown attached to the kitten and sometimes came over just to see her. Ever since he'd gone on vacation though the kitten, or rather cat, had spent more and more time at Gabriel's apartment. Putting down the photo album, Sarah picked up the white box wrapped in bubble wrap. She wondered for a second if she ought to open it. Then noticed that it was almost one thirty, the time she and Irons had decided was best to meet at the hotel. It had at first troubled Sarah that Irons actually bothered to _ask _her opinion, at first she had thought he was mocking but his tone had been completely serious. Not for the first time that day she wondered just what kind of game he thought he was playing, and just how far entwined had she unwittingly gotten herself into.

***

Well? Opinions? Are you happy? Do you want to stone me? Review please.


	8. Doppelgänger

Well, is Jake dead

Well, is Jake dead? I can't tell you yet… or then again, I may have already told you.

Am I playing around with your head? You bet I am.

Should you be reading the scenes with the new characters? Yes… if you don't things will shortly stop making sense.

And like the show, everything here is connected **everything.** Just watch carefully.

Do I want reviews? YES! (That one goes without saying now doesn't it?)

8 – Doppelgänger

Onica changed out of her business suit in record time waiting impatiently for the sun to set. There was a lot to tell Erik, and she needed nothing more then the crash of the ocean to calm and sooth her. The entire day she had been forced to exercise a huge amount of self-control, burying laughter and keeping a straight face at the nervousness everyone had shown around her. Karen had practically jumped with guilt when she'd asked to borrow the stapler. Everyone was treading carefully, and unbeknownst to her, it was because they were beginning to think that maybe just maybe, Onica Kohl wasn't just the ice princess, but a woman as well.

As the sun finally set Onica walked away from her apartment and onto the beach. When she finally reached Erik, she couldn't help but take a step back, letting a gasp of surprise and horror escape her.

***

As Luka finished loading his last suitcase into the car, he wondered if he had any idea at all what he was truly doing. All he had for now was the sketchiest of outlines, and a bluff that could be far too easily called. Instinctively his hand moved to his breast pocket, numbly patting what was inside. That little object was what this was all about, or at least part of it. His father had been a scientist and a businessman, only his youngest son followed his footsteps having helped him with research in his last years. In a way Luka best understood what it was his father had meant to do, and with his cunning, his father had almost succeeded in his final experiment. Unfortunately with his death the delicate balance he'd created evaporated. 

***

Sarah returned to the hotel with her precious box clutched closely to her side. Going to the reception desk she was about to ask the woman there to alert Irons that she'd arrived, before she could speak however the woman asked if she was Ms. Pezzini. When she nodded the receptionist pulled out a black felt bag and handed it to her, telling her that a messenger boy had left it for her. Taking the bag that looked like a purse without a handle she saw that under the front flap there was a zipper, she would've unzipped then, but the need to get her box to her room without letting Irons see was greater. Quickly she went up the stairs and deposited the box in her overnight bag, then finally letting her curiosity get the best of her, she unzipped the bag, pulling it's contents into her hands. When she saw what it was though disbelief forced her to shuffle through them once, then as if they were hot coals she dropped them. "Oh my god." Then managed to escape her lips.

***

Erik heard Onica's gasp and turned to see her taking a step back, at the sight of his face however she seemed to calm down slightly. Her expression moving from terrified to relieved. Baffled at her actions Erik cocked an eyebrow He was perplexed at her reaction to is change in hair color, he had her to laugh at him perhaps, or not even notice. Fear was something he had never put upon that list "Are you alright Onica?" She nodded numbly, then murmured something in audible. "Come again?"

She turned her face up and looked him in the eye, speaking clearly just as the wind blew her hair back from her face. "An icy chill ran through my frame; a sense of insufferable anxiety oppressed me; a consuming curiosity pervaded my soul; and sinking back upon the chair, I remained for some time breathless and motionless, with my eyes riveted upon her person. Alas! Its emaciation was excessive and not one vestige of the former being lurked in any single line of the contour. My burning glances at length fell upon the face. …_ Dicebant mihi sodales si sepulchrum amicae visitarem, curas meas aliquantulum fore levatas," _The last words she said with force, and just as she finished speaking the wind died. Giving her monologue/quote an eerie air.

"Poe." Erik thought that Onica was in this moment, the embodiment of Poe's Berenice a woman as beautiful as she was haunting. "You thought I was A Doppelgänger… but of who?" She looked him in the eye again, her ghostly aurora suddenly vanished, replaced instead by one of fear.

"No one…." She looked down again, then turned as if to flee. "I should go, it's nothing I want to talk about." In two strides, Erik was beside her taking holding of her shoulders, he immediately turned her around to face him. 

"Then I won't make you talk about it." He looked down steadily at her, wondering what made this normally calm woman suddenly so frantic and fearful. She returned his gaze for a moment, then burst into tears against him. Erik drew her close, not knowing what else to do, her past had scarred he, he knew that now. What he also knew was that this gave him something with which to manipulate her, a means with which he could learn all he needed to know about Excelsior Biotechnology's. The only thing that remained for him to do, was push away his morals, his conscious, and in essence his very humanity.

***

Kenneth Irons hung up his cell phone and poured himself a glass of a Sherry. Things were most definitely going his way. Almost everything had fallen into place, like a game of chess well played. The Witchblade was so close now that he could feel it in his hands, all that remained was the manipulation of its welder, a difficult task to be sure but a challenge that he almost relished. Turning around, he studied the rigid posture of the only person whom he had thought he could trust, and without a word turned back around. There was enmity there, it was well concealed and unless you looked for it you wouldn't find it, but now he knew, it complicated things, but Kenneth Irons always did enjoy complication, especially when he knew that he could bend it too his purpose.

***

Ugh! It's amazing how one typo can give away an entire plot. For once I'm glad I reread this thing.


	9. Illusion or Betrayal?

9 – Illusion or Betrayal

9 – Illusion or Betrayal?

Pictures lay haphazardly all around Sarah, still dazed she sat on the bed staring blanking down at them. "You'd better pick those up you know." Not even bothering to look at him Sarah did as Danny told her too gathering the pictures together and placing them back into the felt bag. There were sixty of them at least. All were photos of her and Irons, in his office, his home, restaurants, etc. All were taken from a good distance by a high resolution and probably high tech camera. 

"Who took these?" Sarah's voice was angry but simultaneously detached, someone had been following her and she had never known, as a cop that was unacceptable. It rudely brought to light the fact that Sarah depended on the Witchblade rather then her own senses, and that more then anything scared her. "Was it someone Irons hired?" Danny moved so that he was in front of her, she lifted her eyes to him, and saw him shake his head then reached out his hand and touched the Witchblade bringing a memory before her eyes.

Sarah slammed the folder shut and placed it on top of the others ones that lay on Jake's coffee table. "Done!" stretching slightly she then fell backward onto the carpet. "I can't believe how long that took." Besides her Snowflake took this as a sign that she wanted to play and promptly jumped onto her stomach. Walking up her body then swiping a paw across her hair. 

"Meow?" Snowflake tilted her head and looked at Sarah as if asking, 'what are you doing? I want to play.' Sarah laughed, sitting up she made a sudden scramble to grab Snowflake as the kitten began to slide down her front. Behind them Sarah could hear Jake's laughter as the snapping of a Camera lens followed it. Sarah turned around suddenly at sound, causing Snowflake to once again slip and meow in irritation, which in turn prompted Jake to take another photo.

"What are you doing?" Comes out from Sarah admits a giggle as Snowflake jumps at Jake only to slip and fall backward then rub her paw near her face as if to ask 'what just happened?'

"Taking a photo of course, people would lock me in a cage and throw away the key if I told them you were playing with a kitten. If I have a proof however they might stop for a second and decide to just send me to an asylum." Jake himself had trouble believing that this playful woman in front of him was Sarah Pezzini, most likely the toughest cop in the NYPD. 

"You aren't telling anyone anything McCarty." Sarah threw a glare his way then turned back to playing with Snowflake. "Besides it's your own fault. If you hadn't given her to me for Christmas I wouldn't be doing this and you wouldn't have to worry about people questioning your sanity." Then smiling without looking at him she added. "Besides, I'd take that camera and throw it into on coming traffic before you got the chance."

Jake put his hands up in an 'I surrender gesture'. "Tell you what, I'll give you this Camera and let you take a picture of anything you want and cook dinner. Then we'll call it even. What do you say." Sarah paused as if to consider then nodded and put her hand out for the camera, with some hesitation Jake handed it over then headed towards the kitchen. 

Sarah studied the camera in her hands, and saw that only one picture remained. "Hey Jake, do you mind if I ask you what's on this film." Jake had his back turned to her and Sarah couldn't really see him but she could have sworn he froze and tensed for a second. He turned around slowly and looked her in the eye, walking backwards he mouthed one word.

"You."

When Danny moved his hand Sarah was more confused then ever. "Jake? But why would he?" she glanced at the Witchblade and looked up to find Danny gone. For a few minutes she became lost in thought, a knock on the door however ended her reverie. Sarah quickly picked up the felt bag, sticking it into her overnight before shouting "Come in." to whoever was at the door.

Irons wheeled himself in with Ian closely behind him. "Sarah, you missed out lunch date." Glancing at the Clock Sarah saw that he spoke the truth. It was now two o'clock. Some how time had slipped forward half an hour. She opened her mouth to speak but Irons was faster. "It's alright. It's been a trying day. Would it be alright for you if we started for the airport in half an hour?" Sarah nodded, surprised that Irons was being so understanding. He smiled then left, behind him Ian lingered for a second as if to say something. Then changed his mind and left. As Sarah puzzled over this, the question of why Irons wanted to leave so soon crossed her mind, but in the turmoil of her confusion it quickly became lost amid the roar of chaos that seemed to churn through her entire being.

***

Dovidi D'angitino was the embodiment of calm as he stared out of the window in his penthouse that overlooked the beach. Inside however he was filled with worry and doubt. In less then a day one of the Giamano's would arrive, it seemed that none of his men could find out which one it was and that worried him. Too much of his plan rode on what would happen then, too many of his carefully laid plans might be snagged on the events that unfolded. In his favor he had the support of one of the most powerful men in the world. Against him he had the Giamano's. His father had chosen to make allies of them rather then enemies but Dovidi was not his father. He didn't just want to keep the family enterprise he wanted to expand it, and now the old man's mistake might cost him dearly. 

Dovidi stared hard at the ocean and sand below him in the distance he saw two people sitting on the beach. From his vantage-point he could see the ocean, the stars, and the few far scattered people on the beach, in essence he saw everything. He wished that it were the same with his business, to see all is to know all. And Knowledge well manipulated always meant power.

I'll have to insist upon more reviews you know… though I thank an unnamed few greatly for their consistency I hope that they aren't the only ones reading this. Oh yeah, and a note to one those unnamed… just how long exactly are you going to make us wait for the next chapter of Dreams?


	10. Discoveries

10 – Discoveries

10 – Discoveries

Sarah was immensely preoccupied throughout the take off of the plane, which was why that it wasn't until they'd been in the air for an hour that she noticed they were traveling west instead of east. " Mr. Irons, would you mind telling me why we seem to be headed in the wrong direction?" 

"You finally noticed." Across from her Irons responded with some of his usual arrogance, the first he'd shown that day. "I'm afraid that we will be making a detour. I have business to conduct in New Zealand and much as I hate to admit it, I need your help." All of a sudden Irons voice seemed to waver slightly as he began to treat the matter with kid gloves. "If you'll listen to me please. I'll explain everything; once we land you will have the choice of working with me or returning to New York. I will of course cover the airfare." 

It suddenly dawned on Sarah that perhaps this was why Irons had actually been civil to her today, unfortunately this did nothing to ease her anger. She was about to make him fully aware of her displeasure when the Witchblade tightened and warmed against her wrist in warning causing her to remain silent and give Irons the opportunity to talk.

"There is an auction of sorts occurring on the black market. The CEO of Excelsior Enterprise's Biotechnology branch has come across something one of his lead scientists created. He hasn't told anyone exactly what it is – only that it is a bio-weapon like nothing anyone has ever seen it's something that everyone in the industry wants. In the wrong hands this could be very dangerous, which is why I wish to procure it. Unfortunately I'm confined to this wheel chair for at least another week, and while I'll be ready for the final meeting I won't be for the social diners and meetings held before then. I need someone to attend in my name. Ian understands the stakes but he severely lacks the social talents needed for this task. Frankly there isn't anyone else I trust, which leaves you. However, there will be a lot of people there who spend there lives conducting illegal activities, if you decide to come then it will be on the condition that you leave behind your job and forget that you're a cop." Irons looked closely at Sarah as she was given this information, and in his eyes she either wasn't listening, or didn't care. Finally a good while after he'd spoken she finally replied.

"It's been a long day, I'll tell you what I think tomorrow." And with that she seemingly dismissed the subject turning her face to the window and instantly falling asleep.

Candle light illuminated the room, blackout curtains kept the light in. On a bed in a sparsely furnished room two people lay, the blankets drawn tightly around them in an effort to keep out the cold. Neither of them could be seen clearly, they huddled too closely together. The man stroking the woman's long brown hair. "Love?"

"Hum?" The mans voice dripped with sleepiness, in all likely hood he was just about to drift off.

"Have you ever thought about children?" He didn't reply for a second, but then nodded.

"Yes, I have. I've asked myself what kind of world I would be bringing a child a into, and whether I'd be cursing that child, or blessing it." The woman looked up at him, a question in her eyes. "Lis, love… the world is mad with war, the Herr is killing off everyone who doesn't fit into his definition of perfect. If he wins this war and I had a child, he would kill it if it didn't have my hair and eyes. If he looses this war? Then my child will have to grow up without a father. I don't see that as much of a choice my love. Not much of one at all." The woman stayed silent a minute, then finally spoke up.

"Then I guess this isn't the right time to tell you I'm pregnant." The man was shocked for a second, but only a second because an instant later a smile covered his face.

"No, it's not. But that doesn't matter. A child is a child it seems my dear, that we now have a family." Relief seemed to flood her face, and an instant later they kiss.

The scene changes as classical music floods the room and it changes into a bright well-lit, well-furnished bedroom. The woman is now dressed in a traveling suit, checking a suitcase over one last time as sunlight streams in behind her. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do Beth?" In the doorway stands an Asian woman with fair features and softly curling hair.

"Yes Yien Yien I do. I realize that you just got back from your sister wedding and that it must be difficult for me to leave you like this, but you are fully capable of taking care of my daughter and I have every faith in you." The woman smiles and picks her gloves up from the dresser and pins her hat into place as the Asian woman walks into the room and shuts off the record player.

"That's not what I meant Beth, you know that." Beth looks down at her hands for a second, then peers up determination flooding her eyes. 

"There are things I need to know Yien Yien, things only he can tell me, I have to do this." She smiled sadly then turned around and gave the other woman a hug. "I'll be ok. I promise." 

"Mommy! Mommy!" A little girl of maybe six ran into the room, clutching a doll. The woman turned to her in time for the girl to fling herself into her mother's arms. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you more my love." Taking the girl by the hand, The woman picked up one suitcase, letting Yien Yien take the other once downstairs a man in a black driver's suit took them both and the woman once again said her good-byes.

Walking down the stairs she extended her hand to a tall man with startling white hair. The man was Kenneth Irons. 

Startling awake Sarah's dream hit her in a jumble, again the face of Bronte's lover eluded her and only the last scene stuck out clearly. Was it a sign? An indication as to how she should answer Irons? She furrowed her brow in confusion glancing outside she saw that it was still daylight, either that or they had flown through enough time zones to have traveled from evening to morning. Either way in the gleam of the sunshine she found herself thinking more clearly, and at last she made her decision.

***

A few feet away Irons stood looking at her, he saw the change in her posture, and immediately knew that she had decided. A smile crept towards his lips; at last things had indeed fallen into place. (_You see Sarah, I can not control your dreams, but I can control when you dream.)_ Picking up his wineglass he gave himself a toast. It was job well done he now had only her confirmation to await, because somehow he already knew her choice. 

***

And at last, we get to the true plot behind it all. Believe it or not the last nine chapters have been setting the scene, it won't be long now till I get around to answering a few questions. Unfortunately the school year has now started and being a student I will now have that to concern myself with that. I'll still try to post daily but the parts may start becoming shorter. Sorry, life can be a real b****. 


	11. New Acquantinces

11 – A New Aquantince

If Fanfiction.net goes down one more time I'm going to seriously consider posting somewhere else. This is just getting to be too much. Anyway, I hope you're all enjoying this, I know I move things along slowly but I'm one of those people who relish suspense.

11 – New Acquaintances

As Dovidi walked down the stairs he was surprised to see that there was someone still working at nine in the evening on the third floor. Usually only he and an occasional VP were the only ones who worked this late. Walking to the office under which door a light still shone, he first noted that the name on the door was one he didn't recognize, then knocked softly. Inside he could hear a chair being pushed back and coming across the room before the door opened. "Yes?" Dovidi was surprised to see a young woman of maybe twenty five standing in the doorway, the title on the door had been division head of public relations. He had expected someone twice her age, and less then half as attractive. As her dark brown eyes studied him, recognition dawned in her eyes. "Mr. D'angitino, I'm afraid I didn't recognize you, please come in."

Onica moved aside and let Dovidi enter her office, uncomfortable under his stare and puzzling over why he was there. "You must forgive me Ms. Kohl, but when I saw the light shining under your door I realized that I hadn't even met this departments new head of Public relations." As Onica closed the door she felt his gaze once again studying her intently. "I hadn't realized that Mrs. Dovricie's replacement was so young." Onica felt almost relieved at this double explanation, after everything else she'd gone through she most definitely did not need another powerful man to complicate her life. 

"Actually I didn't expect this position either, but apparently she thought I would be adequate and chose me for her replacement even though I'd only been here for a week and a half at the time." Dovidi had expected more information but when nothing else was said, he changed the subject.

"Well, I supposed she was right, though I must wonder what's keeping you here so late. Somehow I can't imagine a woman like you lacking plans, even on a Thursday night." Onica felt some slight guilt despite the fact that his tone was laced in arrogance. In truth she was here because she hadn't yet decided if she could face Erik, last night she had almost broken down, thinking he was a man who he didn't even resemble in the slightest, and he hadn't asked a single question when she didn't want to talk about it. She didn't know if he would bring it up, and that was what scared her. Dovidi sensed her hesitation, and while he didn't know its source he made some assumptions of his own. "Never mind, I'm sure her reason was a good one, however if you'd let me make a suggestion?" She nodded. "I think that you should face whatever it is that's on your mind. Sometimes fear makes us miss out on important things."

Onica held his gaze for a moment, at six feet five he towered over her by nearly a foot, his impossibly slim frame giving him the appearance of further height. In his light brown hair there were light blonde streaks, and something catlike in his green eyes. This man gave off the appearance of one who was slick and flippant, but his words held wisdom, creating a sense of paradox. She kept silent as she had for most of the conversation then smiled slightly and lowered her head as she uncrossed her arms, the turned and shut her laptop, placing it in her briefcase. Turning to the door she saw that Dovidi's hand already rested on the light, and after the door had been locked and they turned in different directions, Onica decided that she would head to the beach, hoping that she could catch Erik before he left.

Down the hall Dovidi made a mental note to find out as much as he could about this woman, her silent manor was simultaneously intriguing and unnerving, her beauty too drew him. Checking his watch he saw that if he didn't hurry he'd be late. Rushing down the stairs he told his driver to take him to the airport before getting into the car and starting immediately on that assignment, drawing her personal information from the company data banks and onto his laptop.

***

As Sarah picked up her overnight bag she wondered once again if this was the right decision, Irons had told her that she could change her mind at any time and leave, but if she knew him it wasn't likely that what he said was true. As they exited the airplane, she immediately picked up her cell phone dialing Gabriel's number and lagging behind the others. "Hey Gabriel? It's me, how's Snowflake?" Sarah purposely talked about Snowflake, providing herself with some cover against Irons prying ears. When at last it seemed that he was finished listening she brought up the reason for her call. "Ok, listen. How are your computer hacking skills… would you forget that I'm a cop for a second? … Ok good, here's what I need you to do…"

***

Sarah hung up her phone, suddenly feeling an intense gaze upon her, looking up she saw that Ian stood just out of hearing distance. Unwittingly she felt a chill run through her. He was as always an enigma, sometimes she thought he was a friend, and others just another one of Irons' pawns. Shaking the feeling off she held up her head, striding forward and fully ignoring him.

From a distance Ian had watched her, though her face tone posture had remained passive and her facial expression neutral the entire time they spoke, he knew that something was up. Now he just had to find out what. In his usual blink of an eye, Ian was besides her, "Lady Sarah, Mr. Irons has asked me to inform you that an acquaintance of his will be meeting us in the main lobby. Mr. Irons also requests that you wear this, as you will look more presentable in it. The changing room is the third door down the main hallway once we've gone through customs."

Without a word Sarah took the bag that Ian seemed to make appear out of this air. She'd played this game before; it was easier not to argue over whatever it was irons wanted her to wear with Ian, it didn't seem to do much good. She didn't want to wear it, doing so gave Irons just a little more control over her then she liked. Pausing in her tracks Sarah suddenly realized that in agreeing to help Irons, she had placed small things such as that right into his hands since she didn't bring any clothing besides that in her overnight bag, and didn't have enough money to much. Gritting her teeth she decided that she'd just have to bare it, after all there were far ways to retaliate, ways that he couldn't even begin to imagine.

***

Irons waited impatiently for Sarah leaning heavily on a cane as he did so, in his legs he felt a pain that was almost unbearable, unfortunately being seen in a wheelchair was even less to his liking. Tapping the cane impatiently he watched Ian out of the corner of his eye, then heard a soft his from that direction. Turing he to drew a sharp breath, unable to fight the de javu that suddenly enveloped him.

Sarah saw the reaction she generated as she walked out of the ladies room and wondered if something she wore was crooked. She had let her hair down, brushing it so that it framed her face. She wore black sandals and a modest black dress with a U shaped collar and thick straps that fell to her knees. Around her neck there was a string of small white pearls, something she'd found in the bag with the shoes and dress. Also in the bag had been a pair of elbow gloves that Sarah had almost laughed at. The outfit itself was both modest and elegant and Sarah had felt no true objection to it, when she'd looked in the mirror however she'd had the odd feeling as if she were someone else.

As she fell into step with Ian Sarah at last noticed that Irons was walking, lifting her eyebrows she studied his posture carefully, feeling a slight satisfaction at the frigidness she saw there. Undoubtablely he was in pain, pain that Sarah thought he deserved. When they reached the main lobby a tall man in his mid to early thirties greeted them. What Sarah noticed most besides his brown blonde hair was his seemingly cat like grace. The only word with which she could described him, was sleek. As she shook his hand Sarah let her gaze drift over his shoulder, and froze at whom she saw.


	12. Affairs of the Heart

12 Affairs of the Heart

Thanks to Shelly for offering to proof read, if you've seen my other fic then you know that before I post my last chapter I have everything edited. So I might take you up on your offer then. It's a bit of reading, but look at it this way, you'll get to see the last chapter before everyone else does J 

12 Affairs of the Heart

Luka's heart felt like stone as he walked through the airport, mists of dread shrouding him. As he headed for the main lobby he looked for the man who was at the center of his families troubles, when he found him he stopped dead in his tracks. His gaze falling instantly on the last person he'd ever expected to see here. In an instant he dodged behind the luggage rack that rolled by, using it as cover until he was safely out of sight. Immediately he saw that he would have to rethink things; if Kenneth Irons was here then his plans could indeed be compromised.

***

In the blink of an eye Luka disappeared, making Sarah wonder if she'd seen him at all, behind her, she heard someone clearing there throat. Dismissing Luka from her mind she turned back to Dovidi, "I'm sorry Mr. D'angitino, I've never taken very well to jet lag, I'm afraid I'm quite spaced out." Smiling politely she disentangled her hand from his and stepped back.

"Not at all Ms. Pezzini, Mr. Irons has told me about your loss, and I am very sorry. It's always difficult to lose someone we love. It's tragic when anyone dies but to lose your fiancé so close to the wedding. You have my sincerest sympathy" Sarah almost choked at what she heard, in truth it was with indignation at Irons manipulation of the truth while Dovidi thought that it was because he'd hit an emotional topic. Ian on the other hand knew that if Irons didn't tread carefully, he'd be in a wheelchair for a lot longer then he expected.

*** 

An hour later Sarah found them stopping at a large beachfront house, thirteen sleepy servants stood in front of the door in a bad imitation of Victorian formality. The house Sarah learned belonged to Irons, it wasn't dark and dismal like his home in New York, although the interior decoration consisted of contrasts between gray, steel, and alloy whites. He even gave her the room with the best view and largest windows, none of this however stopped her from yelling at him the moment Dovidi left. "What the hell did you think you were doing telling him Jake was my fiancé?! You're a lot of things Irons, but even I didn't think you were low enough to desecrate the memory of the dead."

Irons only looked at her levelly then said in a clear monotonous tone, "I'm sorry if I've offended you Sarah, but the death of your partner affected you deeply. I couldn't very well risk you telling anyone that you'd lost your partner, and that his name was _Detective _Jake McCarty. It just wouldn't do for them to learn you were a cop, better for you to be in mourning over a lover. Now if you'll excuse me, it's been a trying day and I truly need to rest." As if on cue Ian came in with the wheel chair, into which Irons immediately lowered himself. As the door closed behind them, Sarah wondered whether or not they'd locked her in as well. With a sinking feeling she began to realize just what it was Irons had tricked her into, now that she was here she was at his mercy. Almost expecting to find the windows barred and the door secured Sarah went and cheeked both, to her surprise the windows were easy to open and the door was unlocked. There seemed to be nothing in the closet and the wardrobe and cabinets all seemed empty. There was nothing on the bed and from what Sarah could detect nothing sinister such as sleep enhancing powders lined the sheets or pillows. Finally forcing her mind into ease Sarah changed into her own day clothes, still not trusting enough to risk being caught in an unpleasant situation lay down and slept.

A pearl necklace fell across an Ivory throat offsetting a long cream colored gown and tumbling brown locks of hair. "It suit you my dearest beauty," A smile attempted to creep onto the face of the woman underneath the necklace; it seemed her lover always had no end of compliments. "Would that your daughter could see this flawless vision." 

A shadow crossed her face, marring the 'flawless vision' there. "Yien Yien wrote to me today, her youngest sister is pregnant. If it's a girl, it will be named after her." She paused and looked into her lover's eyes. "My daughter wrote to me as well. She thanked us for the gifts and begged me to come home. Kenneth, It was like reading the letter of a stranger… her tone, it was just so distant…" Her voice faded and he drew her close, holding her tightly as she blinked away tears.

"I'm sorry my love, I should never have been so careless. I tell Stephan to cancel our plans tonight, if you truly want to, then perhaps I should arrange a flight for you." He looked down at her sadly. "It seems that Egypt won't be graced with your radiant presence after all." He grasped her hand, and as if for strength she did the same. As he lead her back down the hall she leaned against him heavily and for the first time a look of worry began to appear in his eyes.

The scene shifts, a Chinese woman now holds a letter and the pearl necklace though she doesn't r read aloud the words sound clearly in Sarah's mind.

__

'I don't what to think anymore Yien Yien, his careless words wound me, but at times he shows such compassion and love. Showering me with gifts of affection. Sometimes though, he looks at me, and I wonder which he sees, Elizabeth? Or the Witchblade? Then I wonder what me loves, me? Or it? He's suggested I come home, and yet I know if I do, I'll never see him again, and if that happens, I'll never grasp the answers I seek. 

'A week from now, he thinks that we should leave Cairo and head for a tour of the continent. I won't go, I can never do that, never set foot upon the soil of France or Germany ever again. If I do so it will drive me mad. I will remember him… you know who I mean… and if I remember, I will have to end this deception of my heart. And when I do so, I fear what I will find. 

A tear of empathy slid down Sarah's cheek as she awoke, knowing the ending of the tragic love story to which her dreams bore witness. She knew now that in some capacity Irons had loved Elizabeth Bronte, and against her better judgement Elizabeth had done the same. Sarah wondered if she was going down a similar path, her eyes wondering over to where she'd left the necklace. Was it the one from her dream? Then with a start Sarah leapt out of the bed silently cursing herself for letting her guard down.


	13. Surprises

13 – Surprises

Everyone, before anything I'd like to ask for a prayed for those who lost family in the terrorist attacks in the US today. At this point I'm still waiting for information on my uncle, and I'm sure many others are waiting for news on loved ones

This story is taking a lot longer then I'd expected it to. Can you believe that the last three chapters (counting this one) were all supposed to be one? But like I said, with the school year started I don't have the time to write long chapters every day. It's just another of those unfortunate facts of reality. Oh and Iceani, you sure are one to talk, I'm averaging about two reviews a chapter. I'd be thrilled to get five much less ten, but then again you're story is a but faster paced. 

13 – Surprises

Onica took a deep breath, relishing the morning air as it blew though her hair and morning robe filling her lungs with the sweet sea breeze. It had been a long time since she'd felt so calm and at peace, it was as if her past were truly behind her. Closing her eyes she savored the soothing air for a moment longer before turning back into her apartment and readying herself for the day ahead. 

***

The entire room had changed over the course of the night, the bed curtians which Sarah had left open were now closed. On the vanity there lay a jewelry chest, sunglasses, and various unopened cosmetics. The door to the walk in closet was open and through it Sarah could see clothing. Groaning she got up and walked to the table. Pinned underneath a pair of sunglasses and a bottle of sunscreen was a note.

Sarah,

Casual and under clothes in dresser, 

Formal clothing in the walk in closet,

Shoes too.

Metal key goes to front door,

Black coated to your car.

Colleen is your maid, ring for her if you need anything.

Don't wake Kenneth before eight.

Please.

Ian

Glancing at the clock she saw that it was seven thirty local time. How someone had gotten into her room and done all this without her knowledge was what bothered her. It suddenly occurred to Sarah that if someone had seen the contents of her overnight bag she'd have some serious explaining to do. Before going over to her bed and pulling it out however she started doing what she should have done last night; checking to see if the room had been bugged. In truth she knew it was a futile effort if the room wasn't bugged Irons could have it done at anytime, when she left, when she slept. Whenever, still though habit made Sarah watchful and as she stated her tedious task she once again wondered if she had made the wrong decision after all.

***

As Callie brushed her hair she felt a shadow stir behind her, silently she put her brush down and pulled a derringer-sized gun out of her dresser drawer. "Who's there?" No one answered and she cocked the hammer of her gun, in the mirror the reflection changed and there stood the dark shadow that was Ian Nottingham. For a moment apprehension clung to her, the next however it was gone, replaced instead by joy at seeing her dearest brother once more. "Ian!" rushing out of her chair Callie flung herself into her brothers arms, and as he returned the hug he smiled for the first time in what felt like months.

"Lian-Er, I've missed you, but I can't stay. I've come to warn you tat you're in grave danger. Your father is here and undoubtedly searching for you." Callie's joy vanished in an instant, replaced by anger, she wanted to speak but Ian stopped her. "I need to return before he misses me. I slipped a mixture of sedatives into his wine last night so he shouldn't wake up for another hour or so, but I can't be sure. I'll contact your when it's safe. "The next instant he was gone, leaving Callie alone one again, and as she returned to brushing her hair a new emotion surfaced in her heart; fear.

***

Three hours after she'd begun Sarah finished her tedious task, fairly sure that the suit hadn't been bugged, no hidden cameras were in the room and that her bag hadn't been touched. As if an after thought she had cheeked her body fur needle wounds, finding none she had finally changed into a pair of casual black pants and a tight black T-shirt. Black was the only color in which Irons had given her casual clothing, likely because according to him she was in mourning for her fiancé. A knock on her door alerted Sarah to the time and growling in her stomach. Opening it she found an African/Australian girl of maybe nineteen standing there. "Yes?"

The girl held a tray in her hands of what looked like coffee, a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon, and what looked like an envelope. "Mr. Irons sent me ma'am." The girl had a strange accent that Sarah did not recognize, pronouncing Irons I-runz. "Since you didn't come down to breakfast he sent me up, he said that you're to take the envelope because he won't have you looking like anything less the his VP. He also says that the black Ferrari in the drive way is yours and he hopes you don't mind not having a motorcycle while your here." The girl set the tray down on a table then curtsied before leaving she turned and said "By the way ma'am I'm Colleen. I sure hope you don't mind me letting Mr. Ian in here last night. He was real 'sistant 'bout getting that note to you." Sarah didn't have to open the envelope to know that she'd find money in it, reluctantly she picked it up, almost dropping it when she found the equivalent of two thousand American dollars in large bills, and then some in smaller ones. As the scent of the food wafted up to her Sarah felt her stomach growl, she was hungry yes, but not hungry enough to eat something that Irons could've tampered with. Grabbing her leather jacket and overnight bag Sarah stuffed the envelope into her pocket and walked out the door to her room. Maybe she'd see how fast the Ferrari could run before finding a decent coffeehouse. 

***

As Onica walked into the office building secretaries stared, and others whispered to each other behind files or hands. Some glared, some gulped, but all avoided her as if their life depended on it. As she neared her office she saw Karen nearly drop her coffee, as she whirled her chair around from where she was talking to Dana to face Onica. "Is something the matter." Both women shook their heads empathetically. Smiling fake, fearful smiles. Onica didn't understand it but when she walked into her office, she let out a gasp of surprise and her briefcase dropped to the floor with a rather loud thud.


	14. Flowers

14 - Flowers

What on earth? I uploaded this last night but the server said I didn't… Iceani, is this the problem you were asking about? 

14 - Flowers

In a net of silken thread bouquets of flowers hung from the ceiling of Onica's, rose petals blanketing the desks and counters. The air was heavily perfumed and the flowers artistically arrayed, never had she seen such a display outside of a wedding or a florists shop. "Did I over do it?" looking towards her desk Onica was startled for the second time that day. There in the midst's of flower petals and paperwork, sat Dovidi D'angitino.

"Mr. D'angitino… I'm afraid I don't understand… you startled me quite a bit." Dovidi smiled his most charming smile then got up and handed her a rose. Not knowing what else to do Onica accepted it.

"I _am_ sorry, but I realized this morning that I had no right to intrude upon your life as I did yester-evening and decided that this was an appropriate apology. Am I forgiven?" Dovidi replaced his smile with a dramatically tragic expression and Onica couldn't help but grin so boyish did he look. 

"You are forgiven. Though for what I'm not sure." Turning her back to him she once again took in the room. "So this is why I've been getting glared at this morning." Seeing an inquisitive glance thrown her way she explained. "When I walked into the building today I felt like a leper, everyone seemed so jumpy and frightened around me. I guess they saw you setting this up." Suddenly a laugh escaped her, giddy from the odd sense of relief she felt at this all being an elaborate apology, firmly ignoring all other possibilities. She turned to Dovidi as if they were co-conspirator's "This would probably be funny if we could hear what they were saying down stairs –and up for that matter. Can you imagine the scuttle butt that must be going around?" She laughed again and Dovidi was amazed most women would have taken offense at what he'd done, but she was taking this so lightly, as if it were all a joke. With relief he laughed to.

"You can you know." Grinning lopsidedly he pulled her over to her desk and made a few modifications on her computer, typing in security codes to access panels she didn't know existed. "Pick a person." Raising her eyebrows, Onica thought for a second then decided on the person most likely to be talking, and most openly at that.

"Dana from reception." Immediately Dovidi made the necessary modifications and over the speakers of her computer came a voice low but loud, as if talking to a small crowd.

"I swear, two days ago she was acting as if she and that reporter were dating. I'm telling you she's playing him. Bad." Immediately a hubbub rose some people agreeing some complaining.

"Honestly Dana, that's the biggest load of bull I have ever heard. Even if what you're saying about Ms. Kohl is true, Dovidi D'angitino is too smart to let a woman get to him like that." It was a man's voice that spoke and one that Onica didn't recognize, out of the corner of her eye she could see that Dovidi was relieved to hear that someone believed they weren't involved.

"What universe are you living in?" This voice was brass and disbelieving. Dovidi recognized it as the senior file clerk. "My husband didn't even pull that elaborate a set up on my wedding night. Did you _see_ those flowers he had sent in? There were probably enough to go around the block twice. She's obviously got him in the center of her palm, and I bet I know how." At the last few words she had lowered her voice lewdly, implying what the others wouldn't say. His face red Dovidi turned off the speakers and closed the tap he had created into the COM system.

"When I find out who was just having that conversation… heads are going to roll." His serious tone and obvious embarrassment only fueled Onica's laughter, causing him to narrow his eyes. "And you if don't watch it yours will be one of them." As she laughed harder Onica could only bat her eyelashes then say in a thick French accent.

"But Monsieur, I have you in the palm of my hand. No?" Finally loosening up Dovidi too laughed, suddenly seeing a way to implement an idea of his.

"I could always spare you a meeting with madam guillotine." Smiling mysteriously Dovidi pulled a golden envelope seemingly out of no where. "You _will_ come, I insist, if only for that comment you just made. After all if they are going to talk – and they _will talk_ - we might as well give them a reason." Bowing slightly he left the room, leaving a very pale, very confused Onica holding a party invitation

***

As Sarah parked the car which had been tailing her most of the morning stopped to. She had seen it, and assumed that it was one of Irons employees keeping tabs on her. As she got out of her car, the man in the car behind her did to. He was dressed in all black, dark black sunglasses hiding his eyes. Ignoring him Sarah kept walking towards her destination, a coffeehouse in front of her suddenly the Witchblade swirled in warning, too late as she was dragged into an ally and a hand clasped over her mouth.

***

Dovidi couldn't believe how well that had gone, granted the comments by the file clerk had _not_ been calculated, and that woman _would_ be looking for a job by the end of the week. Things had gone wonderfully, Onica's past had checked out completely, and on top of that he had found something that would be useful in his crusade. 

In truth he was worried, and the elaborate flowers in Onica's office had been a self-diversion. Not one of the Giamano's had shown yet. Officially their presence wasn't requested until the gala he was holding tonight but reasonably they would have paid him a visit already. That they hadn't meant one of two things, they had learned his true plan, or they had something up their sleeves which made him useless to them. Both were more then just dangerous options, and only the second gave him any chance at manipulation but then again it didn't matter. In the end he would win, just like he'd win the affections of Onica Kohl.

***

Before Sarah had time to transform the Witchblade the hand let go of her. "It's me." Surprised Sarah turned to see Luka Giamano


	15. Weapon of choice

15 – Sliding doors

Ok, I'm sorry that this took so long, I've been really busy, luckily though I have the day off tomorrow so I'll get more done then. Besides this isn't the only fic I'm writing at present, and please, don't forget to review. Sometimes a cheerful review and really brighten me up when I'm having a lousy day.

15a – Weapon of choice

"I need your help." After her initial shock the first thing Sarah did was affirm that she hadn't been hallucinating the day before at the airport. The second, out of habit, was looking to see if Callie were around. "You don't look surprised to see me." Luka was puzzled at her reaction, all nonchalance, as if getting pulled into an ally by a man you barely knew and having him beg you for help was a daily occurrence for her. Shrugging she nodded.

"I'm not." Behind her sunglasses Sarah knew that she was the picture of calmness, it was something the Witchblade had taught her. Thinking of it she realized that the Witchblade was warm against her wrist, as if telling her to listen to him. "So talk."

Glancing around Luka saw that whoever had been tailing Sarah had not come into the ally, relieved he led her in the direction opposite of which they had come, covering his eyes with sunglasses as he did so. "This isn't the place. I need to make sure no one is listening to us. There's a fairly good and very private restaurant over the coffeehouse. I have a reservation for two." 

***

Onica waited impatiently for lunch hour to roll around, when it did she practically ran out of the office, the invitation in her purse. As she made her way to the Half Moon Chronicle's headquarters she wondered if she was making the right the choice. She didn't know, but she was sure that this was necessary to her sanity. As she pulled up by the building she realized that she didn't even know Erik's last name, and that perhaps a business approach would be more welcome then an informal one. Digging around in her glove compartment she pulled out a pair of sunglasses putting them on she buried herself beneath the persona of the ice princess. Walking inside she went to the receptionist and handed over her card not looking at the receptionist but in her general direction. "One of your reporters conducted an interview with me a few days ago. I need to see him." Offering no further explanations Onica tilted her head as if wondering why the woman moved so slowly amused when she quickly scrambled to comply.

"Excelsior Enterprises… I believe that it was Mr. Erik McLoed that conducted that interview. If you'll give me a moment I'll him down." Flustered the woman wondered who exactly Onica Kohl was, she had the bearing of a woman who always got her way, but her looks belied the arrogance which seemed to lace her voice. A smile seemed to tug on the corners of her mouth, but her entire stance was rigid and cold. Dialing up Erik's desk she told him who was waiting, surprised when he said that he'd be there immediately. Moments later he appeared, his jacket in hand.

"Tell Mr. Brumberrie I'll be gone for about two hours." Without another word he quickly whisked Onica out of the building, knowing that if she'd come to see him at work it must be something important. When they reached his car he held the passenger door open for then closed it and went around. When they were finally on the main road she started laughing. "What?"

"The deer caught in headlights look on that secretaries face when she saw me… it reminded me of something that happened this morning." Erik raised an eyebrow. What exactly was going on? "Erik, we really need to talk."

***

"So what's this all about?" Settled into a private room at _The Three Sisters_ restaurant Sarah and Luka sat facing each other, eating absently as the waiters finally left. Sighing Luka looked her in the eye. Deciding that it was finally time to talk.

"Before I met Callie, I did research with my father in Palermo. Papa was not the most… honest man in the world. He believed in the old ways, that the man with the most power could always protect his family the best. For Papa that meant controlling the Mafioso as much as it meant controlling the family business. Papa built an empire, and as he got older, he became more desperate to find ways to preserve it without the Mafioso. In the end we did find a way, a way that might destroy us. That Sarah, is why I need your help." Caught in his tale, Sarah didn't say anything. Waiting instead for him to continue. "I'm trusting you because Callie did, and if nothing else Callie was an excellent judge of Character." He looked down then, trying to hide the sorrow in his eyes. It dawned then on Sarah that Luka was speaking of Callie in past tense. Had something happened to her since there last meeting? A guilt swept over her then, she hadn't even tried to contact Callie, a woman who'd befriended her without second thought. A woman who had as many issues as Sarah herself.

"In any case, Father and I experimented with bio-engineered viruses and the like, then one day we stumbled upon something lethal." Luka paused for dramatic effect, knowing that he was weaving what could be shortened inmeasurablely into a tale. Hoping that as he did so he could create a sense of detachment he did not truly feel. "Sarah imagine something that can worm itself into your brain in a matter of seconds, then bury itself so deeply no one will know it's there. That's what we found, it does what a virus would do, but it behaves like nano-probe technology. It's amazing really almost six years of studying it I still don't think I understand it completely. It lies dormant for two days before you know it's there, spreading itself out inside of your mind. For some reason it attaches itself to the inside of your inferior cerebellar veins and the carotid arteries. Concentrating it self at the superior petrosal and occipital sinuses. It induces a stroke when it first enters your system by clogging together itself in the carotid arteries, within three heartbeats though it bursts, using the buildup the clog creates to launch itself into all crevices of your brain. Then it creates a barrier around your acoustic and abducent nerves, bouncing their signals right back at them." He paused for a second. Looking to see that she was still with him, when he'd had this conversation with Callie six years ago it had been easier, she had been a scientist.

"Ok, let me get this straight, you engineered something that clogs your artery launches itself like a splintered cork from a champagne bottle. Gets into your brain and builds a layer near the sac encasing it? And barriers around the nerves that control your sense of equilibrium, and ocular movement, correct?" He nodded, pleased that she'd understood. "Wow… it's almost like something out of a bad sci-fi film... I didn't even think that was possible." He laughed slightly. Wondering how she'd react to the rest, because the rest was worse.

"Yeah. It does doesn't it? Unfortunately it gets worse, what I just told you that's assuming it stays localized- or in your brain at least. As father and I researched more and more, we found that it mutated it to two types. The first produces RH-antibodies if it gets into your bone marrow, killing you if you're RH positive. The second simply multiplies it self until it kills you by bursting several inferior cerebellar veins. There is an antidote but it loses effect if it isn't injected into the host within 72 hours. Dovidi D'angitino senior was a close ally of my father. As testament to this he gave him a vial of both the virus and the antidote. Dovidi jr. isn't the man his father was though. Now he want's to auction the virus off to the highest bidder." Sarah stopped chewing, thinking instead, as a cop she understood how she could be useful, but not with out endangering Luka and his family. Finally, she decided the best route would be to state the obvious.

"What do you want me to do?"


	16. Sliding Doors

15b – Sliding Doors

Well… since only Iceani wanted to review, I'm not going to give you chapter sixteen, but I will tell you this… for everyone who's been asking me what happened to Jake… I've already told you… in fact I give you hints every few chapters… if you don't know by now… well lets just say I'll keep playing my mind games. *Evil Grin escapes before calypso dives into bomb shelter* and you WILL review this. Understood? J 

15b – Sliding Doors

"What do you want me to do?" 

Luka hoped that this was sign Sarah was warming to his cause. "The virus itself can be reproduced since its nature is to multiply, but the antidote cannot. Sarah… I know you're here with Irons. I also know that he's a heartless bastard and wouldn't hesitate to use the virus if he gets it. What I want you to do is get weapon and the antidote away from either Dovidi or Irons, if you can't I want you to get enough ammo to trial those two." Sarah was surprised at how evenly he said it, since if they did trial the two them, Luka himself would be drawn in… and likely charged with illegal arms production, or experimentation. 

"You know what Luka? Count me in, unfortunately all that paperwork would be a pain in the ass. So let's figure out how the hell we're going get this weapon away from Dovidi." For the rest of the meal, the two planned and re planned, looking for faults, searching for shortcuts, knowing that if they failed, they'd be in danger indeed.

***

"Now _that's_ a car I wouldn't mind having." Parking his sedan, Erik got out and looked at the black Ferrari parked in front of him, sighing dramatically he turned to Onica. "Pity I'll never get one… not on a reporters salary at least." Onica's laughter was his reward.

"Maybe I'll get you one for Christmas." Despite her laughter, Onica was only half joking, remembering a time when money wasn't ever an issue. At that moment two people exited the coffee shop, walking together towards the car, deep in conversation. The man was lean without being lanky, elegant with dark brown hair and darkly tinted eyeglasses behind which his eyes could not be seen. Next to him was a slender woman who had long brown hair. Setting eyes upon her, Erik paled visibly, even though she wore sunglasses and clothing he'd never seen before, he recognized her… or thought he did. Onica noticed this and turned an inquiring gaze at him. Shaking it off he smiled then gallantly offered her his arm, letting her lead him towards the coffee house, unfortunately the sidewalk was narrow, and four people walking astride was nearly impossible, causing him to brush against the all to familiar woman as they passed.

"Snowflake?" Sarah was a comical sight as she peered under every surface looking for the missing kitten. "Snowflake where are you?" getting her hair caught in tinsel as she rose from looking under the couch, Sarah mentally cursed at Jake for not helping remove all the useless decorations he'd put up around her apartment. Patiently she tried to pull the tinsel out of her hair, as the doorbell rang she gave up. Hoping the powers that be would forgive her she turned the Witchblade into it's knife and cutting the tinsel from either side so that it was still stuck in her hair, but she at least was freed from the edge of the table. The doorbell rang again and she opened it, there, stood Jake, with snowflake in his arms. "Snowflake!" Pulling the kitten out of Jake's arms she turned around giving it a hug. "Where have you been?" Setting the cat down, she stroked it's ears, behind her she could hear Jake muttering. 

"Jeez Sarah, you just seem SO glad to see me that I'm overwhelmed." His tone was sarcastic, but only slightly wounded. "By the way, you have tinsel in your hair." Growling softly Sarah was about to turn on him when gentle hands in her hair stopped. Removing the tinsel from her hair clip he had to undo her braid as well, unconsciously he held a lock of it in his hand caressing it gently. Surprised Sarah didn't move, almost didn't breath, finally noticing what he was doing, he let it go, clearing his throat slightly and handing her the tinsel. "I uh... I should probably help you un-decorate." Turning around at last, Sarah fixed him with a glare enjoying the fact that he turned bright red before grinning and nodding.

"Yeah you should."

Blinking, Sarah realized that she'd stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, turning she looked at the stranger she'd just brushed against, wondering why it was he had brought on _that_ vision. The man too seems to have stopped. "Erik? Are you ok?" Her eyes widening in surprise behind her sunglasses, knowing that she'd only heard because the Witchblade enhanced her senses. The voice was a familiar one… if only she could place it. Turning back to Luka she led him towards her car, she was going to give him her overnight bag, knowing that it was safer with him then in a place where Irons could have easy access to it.

***

Erik cleared his head as they sat down to a late lunch, he wondered why he'd had that… vision earlier, and what on earth it had to do with anything. At last Onica took a deep breath pulling something that flashed gold out of her purse. "This is why I wanted to talk to you." Sliding it over to Erik, he opened it, surprise flashing across his features. 

"An invitation to a gala?" She nodded and suddenly a cold hand began to grip at Erik's heart, fearing that his suspicions from days ago had been correct.

"When I walked into my office this morning I found myself under an elaborately arranged canopy of flowers… rose petals littering practically every surface." She paused for a second, still slightly stunned at the memory. "The funny part is we only met last night. Frankly I don't know if I should flatly refuse him. Or be completely flattered."

Erik's heart was still cold, here was the perfect opportunity to get to Dovidi D'angitino. An opportunity his superiors would kill him for missing. "Well… the invitation doesn't say you have to attend with him if that's what's bothering you. As a journalist **_I_** would jump at the chance, it's almost impossible to get an interview with Mr. D'angitino…" Erik let his voice fade, unsure how to proceed. Thankfully Onica breathed a breath of relief. 

"If you would come… that would be great." They lapsed into silence as the servers came in, lost in thought. "Do you want to know why I needed to see you so badly?" he nodded. "I was scared today Erik. My parents… I was afraid that I'd…" She paused, and despite the fact that she closed her eyes a tear escaped her. "My father was a very wealthy man, he showered my maré with presents and money, and she thought he truly loved her… they had a horrible marriage though… and a painful one." As another tear slid down her cheek, Erik automatically reached out for her hand. Holding it tightly in his own. "When I saw those flowers today, I wondered if that's what he did to her… lavish gifts of sentiment… and I began to wonder if the same thing would happen to me." Her voice dropped so low that it was almost a whisper, ever word dripping with anguish. "And I was just _so scared_." Withdrawing her hand she brought it to her mouth silently crying into it. Erik realized that for the first time she was opening up about her past, and that for the first time, she was facing a long forgotten demon. Rising he came forward and held her in his arms, wondering what horrors she had been put through, wondering what had made this woman cry so much, wondering whether if she had as many buried skeletons as he did.

***

Irons grimaced as he let go of Ian, supporting himself the last few steps until hi reached his seat. Arriving there, he allowed himself some triumph before turning to Ian. "Are the plans for tonight made?" He nodded. "Good. You will escort her Ian, but see to it that she is not aware of your presence, understood?" Again a nod. "Excellent." To himself he smiled maliciously. Tonight it would begin, tonight he would see what manor of woman Sarah Pezzini was.

***

Sarah thought about what Luka had told her as she drove towards Irons' house. She didn't understand it completely herself, but then again she was no scientist. Unfortunately even so, she saw the weapons potential. When someone has a stroke that involves the carotid arteries doctors looked for altherosclerosis, not invasions to the brain. In fact loss of vision and vertigo were both symptoms of stroke secondary to carotid stenosis, basically this _thing _whatever it was masked itself so well that unless one conducted an autopsy or looked for it they wouldn't find it, and stroke victim's usually weren't autopsied. A weapon like that could be more then just deadly in the wrong hands. That thought alone made Sarah's decision for her, as a homicide detective an invisible killer was something that she didn't need. The added bonus of possibly taking down Irons was also welcome, for an instant she smiled thinly. It almost felt like old times again, (_If only Callie and Jake were here.)_ A familiar stab of pain shot through her at the thought, and just as she thought she'd have to fight back tears, her cell phone rang. "Hello?"

***

Now then, a shameless little plug… I'm currently co writing a Sailor Moon fic with Sailor Fireball. If anyone is interested in Anime please read it. The title of the piece is Jui Feng. Right now there's only a prologue, but I swear, if people read and review we WILL post more. 


	17. Echo's of Existance

16 – Echo's of Existence

16 – Echo's of Existence

"Hi Sarah, I hope every things good" Gabriel's voice was more then welcome to Sarah's ears, after the stressful last few days, she hoped that he had some good news. "Listen, I got the information you wanted on Excelsior enterprises. Apparently its major stockholder is also its CEO, a man by the name of Dovidi D'angitino. Basically he runs the company, has a fortune large enough to ransom several kings and still have enough left to be filthy rich. He's suspected of illegal arms dealing and supposedly has business ties with both Kenneth Irons and Armand Parsigie." Sarah somehow wasn't surprised, knowing already that if Dovidi was tied to Kenneth Irons, he probably wasn't a model citizen, but then again, so was she. 

"And Jake?" Almost hesitantly Sarah had brought him up, when silence greeted her she knew that something was most definitely wrong. "Gabriel? What's going on?" Gabriel stayed silent, and Sarah's heart began dropping into her stomach.

"Sarah… I think you're going to have to sit down for this." His voice was grave, troubled, and at it's edges… perplexed. Sarah was already sitting, but pulled the car over just in case, the last thing she needed was car accident. "Sarah are you sure that Jake McCarty was his full name?"

Sarah nodded, then realized he couldn't see and mumbled a 'yeah' in affirmation. "I looked everywhere, obituaries, government databanks, I even hacked the police files, and everywhere I looked, all I found was nothing. I tried different spellings, Jake, Jacob, even Jacques. There was nothing Sarah, not even a trace… it's as if Detective Jake McCarty never even existed."

***

When Erik reported in to his superiors that day, they were extremely satisfied. He was finally getting close… and this time he was _not_ to get too close to his subject. Erik hated this… it had all been a game before now, one that he'd been good at. For the first time, he had begun to feel guilt, begun to regret his duplicity. Drawing himself out of his somber reverie, Erik headed instead for his closet thinking that somewhere in that abyss he must have a tuxedo.

***

Gabriel absently stroked Snowflakes white coat, thinking how unusual it was for a Russian Blue to be white, as he thought this he also wondered just what type of game Jake played with Sarah… Just what type of man would treat her so cruelly? Gabriel cared about Sarah, in her he saw an echo of his own loneliness. Despite their brief acquaintance she was probably one of his closest friend, and when he'd called her today he'd felt almost as if he'd failed her. Determination surging within him once more, Gabriel returned to his computer, there had to be a way for him to help her, and at last he knew exactly how to.

***

For an hour after she'd received the news Sara just sat there in her car, unmoving. Gabriel had just confirmed what had been her worst fears about Jake, and everything about their relationship suddenly came into question. She wanted answers, wanted to know just who and what he was, but he was dead now… or was he? A million questions ran through, each bringing with it a stab of pain. At last she moved her hand to the key and turned on the ignition, she didn't want to deal with Irons, but even his company suddenly became preferable to that of thoughts.

When she returned, Colleen was waiting for her by the front door, an anxious expression on her face. "Oh Miss! Thank goodness you're back. It's four o'clock and nigh time you started preparing for tonight's gala. In a whirl of activity Sarah found herself being dragged into the house and upstairs to her room. "There's a nice a warm bath all set for you. It's already been scented and bubbled, just soak in there for at least an hour, then wash your hair. I'll come back up at five thirty ma'am." In the blink of an eye Colleen was gone, leaving only Sarah in her room. On the bed there lay a white robe, deciding that she needed to relax, Sarah quickly undressed and pulled the robe on before heading to the bathroom, pushing all prudence aside for the evening. She needed rest, needed to relax, and more then anything, needed to stop thinking.


	18. Apperations

Thank you to every one who waited for this, and though I know I'm trying you I would ask for another favor, if anyone works for the Journal news of the New York times or a newspaper in the Westchester area please contact me ****

Thank you to every one who waited for this, and though I know I'm trying you I would ask for another favor, if anyone works for the Journal news of the New York times or a newspaper in the Westchester area please contact me. When I was at St. Vincent's this weekend I ran into some volunteers from a local high school who built a monument (a model of the twin towers) of well wishes out of paper cranes for the rescue workers in the city. They then took time out of their weekends to drive 60 something miles down into the city to speak to the firemen, doctors, patient's etc. I think that those volunteers deserve acknowledgement and I would like to get them into a newspaper in my area, if anyone can help please email me at [**Kittykat509@hotmail**][1]**.com,  I'll then redirect you to the coordinator of that project. Thank you.**

Also, next time I post I will take down the previous note, so don't look at the chapter number look at the summery, I'll but the number 18 at the beginning of it.

****

Chap 17 – Apparitions

By five thirty that day, Sarah felt almost human again as the voices in her head were somewhat quieted if not utterly stilled. When she arrived in her bedroom however, there stood Colleen with a dossier in hand. "I hope you're relaxed ma'am, now if you'll follow me?" holding open the door which led to the sitting area of Sarah's suite Colleen went through, waiting patiently for Sarah to follow. Not having the strength to argue or fight Sarah did so. Once through the door colleen immediately sat Sarah down on a chair and handed her the dossier. "Mr. Irons told me to give that to you. Now just relax and let me prepare you for Mr. D'angitino's Gala this evening."

Raising an eyebrow, Sarah fixed Colleen with a look, when the girl wasn't more forthcoming she took the dossier and opened it. Inside was a picture of her and an altered biography. As Sarah read the dossier a smile almost came to her despite her feelings of defeat. It was written in Irons' sarcastic tones and the content in itself was somewhat amusing. As Sarah turned pages, she barely noticed Colleen fusing with her hair and already carefully manicured nails. The dossier was sixty pages long in the least and so detailed that Sarah wondered just how long Irons had spent on this. When colleen was gone, Sarah too had finished, and in a few more minutes Sarah sat in front of her vanity as Colleen did her make-up, forced to cooperate despite protests that would make a sailor-cringe. As a rule Sarah always wore the bare minimum when it came to make up, layers of the stuff was simply more then she could bear. After some time however Colleen had completed her impossible task. 

Looking in the mirror Sarah almost gasped. The woman in the reflection was tall and regal, dark brown waves of hair framed her face with a timeless elegance, around her throat a choker of three strings of pearls and a red carnelian set off a long simple cream white dress. The image was beautiful but chilling, the woman in the mirror was charming, but it wasn't Sarah Pezzini, it was a woman long dead. The reflection in the mirror was of Elizabeth Bronte.

***

"Ms. Kohl!" Dovidi made a show of greeting Onica personally, only slightly perturbed that she had come with a companion, amongst the guests here only she was not involved in his arms dealing, it was a warning to the others to watch what they said around her. "I am utterly delighted to see you." Onica found his warm greeting both chivalrous and repulsive, and as he kissed her hand Erik's comforting presence was the only thing that kept her from shrinking back.

"And I you." Onica's face was a mask of cool composure, a smile gibing warmth to her coldly civil words. Dovidi again found him self struck by her manor and beauty, she captivated with so little said, charmed with what seemed the most natural of expressions. "May I introduce Erik McLoad Erik, Mr. Dovidi D'angitino." In one fluid motion Onica was no long standing in front of Dovidi, but hanging languidly on Erik's arm. The men exchanged handshakes and nods. "I hope you don't mind Dovidi, but Erik informed me that you haven't given an interview in over a year. Frankly as your public relations expert I regret to inform you that such is not acceptable. And as Erik is a reporter for the Half Moon Chronicle, I decided that his presence here might remedy that." 

As Dovidi mentally gulped he waved Erik and Onica in the direction of his study, as he did so Erik looked over Onica with a new respect, if she was able to hide the real reason of why he was here so well what else was she keeping hidden? When they were settled down in Dovidi's study a knick came at the most inappropriate time. "Mr. D'angitino, there is someone here to see you." When Dovidi only raised an eyebrow the butler mouthed a phrase.

"Mr. Giamano is here."

***

As Sarah walked down the staircase she found herself more resigned then angry. If she looked like Elizabeth Bronte, it was likely Colleen's error, and likely not one that had been intended. As she walked into Irons study she saw him leaning heavily on the mantle, staring into the fire as if it would yield to him some long awaited answer. Watching him she learned against the doorframe thinking how pained and uncontrolled he hooked. Waiting for him to turn around and say something to prove her wrong. When he didn't she raised an eyebrow out of habit then forced herself to lower it. Taking a collected breath she let it out in the form of his name. "Kenneth?" He turned, then as if startled gripped the mantelpiece tightly with his left hand as he hooked her up and down, a wild look of fear and hope in his eyes. "Are you alright?" She spoke to him in the same gentle tone as before, but this time it had the opposite effect.

Almost immediately the trance was broken and nodding curtly he lowered himself into the nearest chair. "I'm glad you're ready, come here." Sarah bit back a retort, trying to remind herself that until further notice she was stranded with him. Slowly she glided forward, holding his gaze with a question in her own. "This is for you." Picking up a red velvet ring box he handed it to Sarah, carefully gauging her reaction to the silver engagement ring inside. Much to his surprise and delight she smiled.

"To support my alibi of a dead fiancé correct?" She put the box down, pulling out the ring and slipping it on her finger. As she looked at her now adorned left hand she began to sadden tearing her eyes away from it as if it burned her she looked at him. "Thank you." There was a question she needed to ask. Things she needed to say, but instead she clamped her mouth shut, deciding that this wasn't the right moment. Silently Kenneth rose, leaning close as if to kiss her, then almost gingerly he caressed a lock of her hair.

"Go now, you'll be missed" Inclining her head almost inperceivably Sarah did so, knowing his eyes followed her and that long after she was gone, his gaze would linger on the spot where she'd stood, puzzling and prying into a mind he would never fully comprehend.

***

In the shadows, Ian clenched his fists. He could see it happening again, the same horror he'd witnessed as a child of nine. Sarah Pezzini was falling prey to Kenneth Irons. He had thought she was smarter, braver, more able to outwit irons then the others before her, but now he was unsure. Already she was following in the footsteps of the one woman he'd ever considered a mother, but she would never share that woman's fate. Sarah Pezzini was one of three women who had ever held any importance to him, and he would guard and protect her, if not for her then for Callie. Sarah was one of his sisters few truly trustworthy friends and he would not allow Callie to suffer another loss. He would see to that, even it meant he would die doing so.

   [1]: mailto:Kittykat509@hotmail



	19. Clashes

Chap

Hi everyone! A thousand apologies for how long this took, but like I said I've been busy. Things are returning to normal now, so I should be able to write more, however my question about the trilogy still remains (see reviews if you don't know what I'm talking about.) And oh yeah, to everyone else. If I haven't reviewed stories lately it's cause I haven't had time to read them. Keep writing though, I'll get there eventually. This is a really short chapter, but finding time to write is almost impossible. I just thought that it might me smart to post before y'all sent the lynching mob after me.

Chap. 18 – Clashes

Dovidi's eye's widened at the announcement, damning the man's bad timing. "Bring him to the library please." Turning to Onica and Erik he spoke to them for a few more minutes, then excused himself and a made a polite, if carefully calculated exit. Asking them to await his return in order to finish the interview. When he was gone Onica turned to Erik and raised an eyebrow in return he only shrugged.

***

Luka stood in the D'angitino library and looked about at the overly ornate room, the shelves were lined with velvet and Paintings hung on every wall. Most were Pre-raphelite (sp?) in style but Mythological in taste. Ornate chandlers that cast light and shadow in haphazard patterns lit the library. It was chaos and order all at once, just like Luka's current plans. It he failed at his end, then Sarah would be left alone to fight his battle. He didn't want that but at this point he was lucky to have run into her at all, without her he would've been forced to spend valuable time researching for information he might never find on his own. It was time that he didn't have.

The door swung open, and the meeting Luka had long dreaded suddenly came to hand. He turned calmly and watched the man enter, he moved with a sleekness that was almost feline in its grace, the illusion was further enhanced by a set of green eyes and an impossibly slim frame. As Luka regarded Dovidi he smiled coldly – almost cruelly, because he no longer felt anxiety, more anticipation really, and his only thought? '_Let the games begin_.'

***

Onica excused herself from the study, she didn't want to be at the gala, and while Erik's presence was comforting, sitting in Dovidi's study was not. Walking back to the main ballroom she found things in full swing, as the butler was about to announce another guest she found herself assaulted by several young men eager to dance. Too gracious to decline she accepted, and was for the next ten minutes engaged in dance, when she stopped to rest she walked to the refreshment table taking a sip of punch she nearly choked as she met the pair of eyes across from her own. "Sarah!" 

Sarah was shocked to see the woman across from her, tall and elegant in a dazzling red dress, curls of black hair spilling over her shoulders, pulled back slightly from her face. "Callie? What on earth are you -?" Stilled with amazement Sarah offered no protest when Callie came around the table and firmly grasped her arm pulling towards the French doors that led to one of the Roman gardens.

"It's good to see you again Sarah… I've missed you." Smiling weakly as they walked Callie tried hard to think of something to say, unsure of how much Sarah knew, unsure of how much to tell.

"Are you here with Luka? When I spoke to him this morning he didn't mention that you were in town." As Sarah watched her, the color drained completely out of Callie's face.

"He's here?" The question came out as a rather horse whisper, and for a moment Sarah was unsure she'd heard, when she nodded though, she found that the hand on her arm had turned into a vise like grip. "Don't tell him I'm here… whatever you do… don't let him know I'm here." Somehow Sarah got the distinct impression that Callie didn't just mean the Gala when she said 'here', she was almost sure that Callie meant New Zealand in general. 

"What's going on?" Callie looked up at her, almost incredulous. Did Sarah really know so little? Quietly, she began to relate what had happened to her since there last meeting. When she finished Sarah looked almost stricken. For a few moments she had no idea what to say, and when she did it hardly seemed adequate. 

"I trust none of this will return to my father." Sarah almost started, wondering how Callie knew. "But I know it won't." Callie smiled the slightest bit, as if to reassure herself. "Tell me Sarah, who _are_ you here. Vorschlag has no business with Excelsior that I know of – surely your not here on a pleasure trip." It then dawned on Sarah that Callie still thought she was Iron's chief of security, that she had never learned Sarah's true occupation.

"Actually Callie, I am here with on business but –." At that moment Callie grabbed Sarah's left hand, seeing the ring on it. 

"Did _he_ give that you?" Callie said the sentence with scorn in her voice. "Have you really fallen so low?" She almost glared at Sarah, blinding anger coursing through her every vein. "This was my mothers engagement ring." 

"Sarah!" Luka's voice filtered through the hedges, turning both women saw him approaching with Dovidi close behind. They weren't close enough yet to see whom it was Sarah was talking to, but both could see that it was two women who stood there not one.

"Be wary Sarah, or you might share her fate." The words were hissed with contempt, but equally were they a warning. When Sarah's gaze returned to the spot in front of her, Callie was gone.

***

"Sarah, it's so good to see you again." Hiding her emotions Sarah smiled and allowed Luka to kiss her hand. "Mr. D'angitino, if I may introduce Ms. Sarah Pezzini." Dovidi's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Sarah.

"Yes we've met… I don't believe I heard Mr. Irons announced… I fear my staff is most incompetent these days." Sarah bit back from asking whether it was his staff or his hearing, saying instead that Mr. Irons was not present. When Dovidi asked why, she only smiled more apologetically.

"I'm afraid that Mr. Irons had more – pressing matters to attend to, it was simply impossible for him to come in person." Dovidi was irked but masked it well, politely asking Sarah if she would like to go indoors instead assenting the three moved to head indoors, as they walked Dovidi watched Sarah and Luka speak. They were on friendly terms, far to friendly for his tastes. He had intended to place Irons influence over the Giamano's and _this_ would most definitely _not_ do.


	20. Sight

Is anyone still reading this

Is anyone still reading this? Is what Iceani said about the review bot the reason I haven't gotten reviews? Folks, in case you didn't know I took down the note and added a chapter on Monday, so please read the previous chapter, or this one won't make much sense. I know that y'all are probably mad at me but PLEASE review. Or I'll take this story down, finish it in my own time then send it to Karen's site to post – and folks if I do that I WILL take my dear sweat time. I'm sorry this has taken a long time to write but I get a little peeved when I don't get reviews. 

Chap. 19 – Sight

When they entered the main ball room, Luka led Sarah onto the dance floor, and discretely away from Dovidi. He had noticed before that she seemed tense, her facial expression and voice too composed and controlled to be natural. "Um Luka." Her manor had changed quite suddenly, she had stopped dead in her tracks a 'deer caught in headlights' look plastered on her face. "I just remembered something, I don't know how to waltz." Unable to restrain himself Luka let out a small laugh. When she turned a glare on him he immediately straightened his face though something seemed to tug unbidden at the sides of his mouth.

"My apologies Ms. Pezzini, I never thought of you as the type who didn't wouldn't know something as trivial as how to waltz." When her glare hardened, Luka realized that he'd chosen the wrong words. "None the less, you're a quick study, I'll teach you." Giving her his most charming smile, Luka led her in a waltz, and after a few false steps, Sarah was able to 'waltz' without stepping on Luka's feet – at least accidentally. A dance later she was able to follow his steps and the movement of the crowd without giving it her complete concentration. "Now then Sarah, would you mind telling me what's wrong?"

"What?" Sarah had been glancing around the ballroom for Callie, bothered by their parting. Luka's words had taken her by surprise – were her emotions really that transparent? Thinking fast she found the half-truth that was easiest to tell. "Mr. Iron's gave me a ring today to support the alibi of my recently dead fiancé… I just learned that it belonged to Callie's mother." 

At the mention of Callie, Luka's eyes lost their laughter, and the hand around Sarah's tightened slightly. Sarah tried to smile reassuringly, but failed miserably. "It's all right." Luka spoke the words, but inside his heart churned, wondering just how his brothers were progressing in their search for her. Discomforted by Luka's mood, Sarah moved her eyes elsewhere, at last she spotted Callie's form talking to a man that leaned against a pillar. 

"What?" Sarah felt the breath drop out of her lungs as her mind identified the man as Jake, when she blinked, he was gone, as was Callie. Shaking her head she stepped back from Luka and excused herself, choosing to ignore his inquiring gaze. When Sarah reached the refreshment table she found Dovidi had just stepped up besides her, and though in turmoil forced herself to smile. "Mr. D'angitino."

"Ms. Pezzini, I do hope you're enjoying yourself this evening?" Not waiting for her to reply he took a sip of punch and continued. "I just finished an interview which went rather badly, I'm afraid that reporter didn't like me very much after I made him wait half an hour. Pity really, but enough of that. I noticed you were dancing with Mr. Giamano, are you business acquaintances?" 

"No." Sarah smiled into her cup seeing Dovidi's face tighten just the slightest beneath his cool composure. "Luka and I are friends, we met almost a year ago in New York." Sarah smiled into her cup as Dovidi's eyes flashed with something akin to worry, seeing that her part was played Sarah excused herself and returned to the roman gardens, hoping to clear her head with a walk, just as she reached the outside the entire manor plunged into darkness.

***

Erik bypassed Dovidi's security using his laptop, he had created attached an untraceable link interface to Dovidi's computer. Unfortunately it would only stay anonymous if he finished what he had to do in thirty seconds or less, as his watch beeped in warning he swore, downloading what little he could before withdrawing from Dovidi's system with only three seconds to spare. Not bothering to cheek what he'd retrieved he turned on his ignition, knowing that a block away the power had just flicked back on in Dovidi's Manor. 

***

In another of Dovidi's gardens Ian wound his way towards the heart of a labyrinth made in hedges and rose vines. Arriving there he found Callie standing waiting for him, a cloak clutched tightly about her shoulders. Frowning Ian walked up to her, her back was turned to him, so he could not see her face, or even guess what was wrong. When at last he was close to her, she turned, ice in her eyes "Why didn't you tell me?" Callie's voice was cold, and had an edge to it that he'd never heard before. "How could you let her fall into his trap? Why didn't you protect her?" Pain and furry mixed in her eyes, and in his heart Ian heard her unspoken words: 'why didn't you protect me.' He wanted to put his arms around her, but her expression forbade that, and like he had so often done in the past, he forced back hi pain.

"I'm sorry Sis, I couldn't do anything because I didn't see it happening. I honestly didn't know" Callie bit her lip, unable to speak coherently. "She needs our help Callie, desperately so." When she didn't reply he struck low, knowing it was the only to get through to her. "Your mother wouldn't want another woman to suffer like she did Callie, you know that." After a long silence greeted that comment, and at last she assented.

"So what do we do?" 

***

Around midnight Colleen put away Sarah's dress and Jewelry, drawing a warm bath as she did so. Sarah had returned sick of the social games she'd been forced to play. Tumults of confusion ran through her from all the things that she had and hadn't seen tonight. From her meeting with Callie to the thirty-second power outage she'd witnessed. Wearily she dropped into bed after showering, completely ignoring the bath, falling immediately into the oblivion of sleep. 

It was hours later when Kenneth silently wheeled himself into her room, standing up with some difficulty he leaned against her bedpost and watched her sleep. As he stood there a tear rolled down her cheek, the only visible sign of her nightmares. Almost tenderly he leaned forward and wiped it away, in sleep she showed no resistance, the layers of anger and boldness she wore as masks vanishing. Leaving her venerable, her pain obvious, heartbreaking in it's own way. Leaning slightly closer he kissed her forehead. Then straightened and returned to his wheelchair, as he left he uttered a few words, and even is sleep, then penetrated the haze of Sarah's mind. "Goodnight my sweet Elizabeth. I've missed you."


	21. Mirage

20 – Mirage

20 – Mirage

Gabriel stood in front of Dante's office, wondering if this was someone's idea of a joke. When his search for information on Jake had failed, he decided to do things the old fashioned way. Which was getting up from in front of his computer and finding things out for himself. He had come to the precinct under the guise of looking for an old friend from his hometown, namely detective Jake McCarty, since there had been announcement of his death Gabriel assumed that such a ruse just might work. When he had asked some woman in a lab coat if Detective McCarty worked here, he was greeted with a cold almost frightened stare and told that she didn't know, when he'd asked for Detective Pezzini's partner she directed him to Dante's Office. At last the door opened and an old man in brown jacket left, since he didn't close the door behind him, Gabriel assumed it wouldn't hurt for him to go in.

"May I help you?" Captain Dante's voice was filled with an annoyed arrogance. Exactly what he'd expected from a man Sarah loathed so much. Dante didn't even bother looking up at who he was addressing, something that peeved Gabriel immensely. Reminding himself that he was here for a purpose however he curbed his annoyance and replied as politely as he could manage.

"Yes sir, My name's Gabriel Bowman I was looking for Detective Pezzini or her partner, but I was told to come here instead." Immediately Dante's entire manor changed, looking up he studied Gabriel carefully, making him feel like a fish in a specimen jar. Gabe couldn't tell if Dante was assessing his importance or his purpose, unwilling to reveal either one, he grinned in a goofy way. Hiding behind the appearance of an ignorant little boy. "The three of us were supposed to go to the Met's game today but they both stood me up." 

"Oh… then you must not have heard." Getting up Dante closed the door, just as Gabe managed to paste a perplexed look on his face. "Please Mr. Bowman… you may want to take a seat." Quickly Gabe did just that, still keeping his eyes fixed on Dante. "Detective Pezzini is currently on vacation… two days ago she attended a funeral, afterwards she was too… affected to return to work." When Gabe's expression didn't change Dante realized he'd have to spell things out. "It was her partner's funeral."

"What!?" Gabe managed to mix just the right amount of shock and pain in his expression to convince Dante that he truly had no idea of what had transpired. "That's impossible. Jake can't be dead. There's no way that's possible." When Dante's brows furrowed, Gabe was afraid that he had overdone it with his last outburst, but Dante's next comment took him completely by surprise.

"Mr. Bowman… I think you've made a mistake… Detective Pezzini's Partner was Danny Woo."

***

When Sarah awoke she was haunted by vague images still retained from sleep. Of the entire dream she remembered only Irons looming figure, and somebody's grave, a marble headstone over frozen ground, and a little girl with roses. It was all so vague, and all so real. As if it were some long buried memory. Over a chair Colleen had a laid an indigo blue summer dress as a fire burned cheerfully in the fireplace. The dress was something that Sarah loathed to wear but did anyway. Luka needed her help, and today she intended to help him.

Walking down t breakfast she found that the round glass table in the dining room was set with breakfast for three. Ian and Irons were sitting each in their respective places, but neither had begun to eat. "Good Morning." Irons greeted Sarah cheerfully and she smiled halfheartedly in return. "I'm glad you could join us this morning." Rising he pulled Sarah's chair out for her and then returned to his own seat, Sarah noted with some surprise that he was almost walking normally again. For a few moments they ate in silence, until Irons broached the subject of last nights gala. As Sarah related what happened, she saw Ian clench in jaw, but dismissed it as her imagination. When she was done, Irons stated that she had done well and that she had nothing more to concern herself with tomorrow. Satisfied, Sarah finally broached the subject she had waiting to talk about.

"Kenneth," again Irons seemed startled by her use of his first name. "Is it possible to erase all public records about a person? From everywhere, the Internet, news, databases. Make it as if that person never existed." If surprised by her use of his name, he was more surprised by this. However Sarah seemed slightly nervous asking this, that didn't seem natural for her, and yet the question was asked completely in earnest and since that was so, he decided to answer her in truth. 

"No. You can erase records, you tap into databases, but you cannot erase a person from existence. Even death can not do that." He smiled almost maliciously, and Sarah wondered if he'd ever attempted what he called the impossible. She suddenly found dining with him repulsive, and quickly excused herself, leaving the house behind as quickly as she could.

***

A man lowered himself into the penthouse apartment of a hotel. Looking around he found that he was in the sitting room. Moving towards an impression of Monet he immediately removed the painting revealing a wall safe. In minutes he had it open. Quickly he sifted through the few things. Opening a red velvet envelope he looked at the contents then closed it almost immediately. It wasn't what he had been sent to find, but it would do. With stealth he returned the room to its previous state, then soundlessly he left. Unobserved to him, someone watched through a keyhole, and that someone, was pleased. It had begun… now it had _truly_ begun.


	22. Interlude

21 – 

21 – Interlude

As Ian guided Irons through his usual morning therapy, he noticed that Kenneth was in a considerably good mood, something that was as rare as it was unusual. Kenneth Irons was not a man who was easily delighted. Ian once again felt his gut clench as he remembered hearing Kenneth's footsteps in Sarah's room last night and the scene at breakfast this morning. The situation seemed grim and only two things right now gave him hope, the first was her sudden departure this morning, and the second was the unconditional love that could come only from his family, and Ian's only family was Callie.

***

The man in fatigues stood stiffly at attention in front of the person in the immaculate business suit. "This is excellent. You're sure no one else has seen them?" 

"Yes sir." The man in fatigues treated this like a military operation even though it was not. The man before him would not have lasted a month in the military he lacked the discipline and discretion necessary for that, bit he had money, and his money was the relevant factor.

"Excellent." The man before him reached for what he presumed to be his payment, instead he drew out a gun. The man in fatigues allowed himself a moment of Irony before the world went black; maybe the business suit wasn't so dumb after all.

***

Luka sat still and stoic as Sarah walked up behind him, staring at the Ocean as if he were entranced. For a moment they shared a companionable silence, till he finally broached the subject. "It's started Sarah." She didn't reply to him, there was no question in her mind as to what he spoke, only that the reality of things it frightened her. 

"Do you know who he was?" He shook his head; no he'd never seen his face. But then again, it didn't really matter; the point was it was done. "I guess it doesn't matter, one of us will find out, most likely sooner then later." She smiled wryly. "I just wish I knew what to expect." The conversation was getting close to nonentity, neither wanting to talk about what was really on there minds. At last Sarah decided that she had to say something, both for her sanity and his. She was afraid that her clothing had been wired, or some bug placed on her so that Irons could spy or eavesdrop, but at this point she threw caution to wind, too tired of playing games to care. "Irons is beginning to walk almost normally now. It won't be long until he's back to full throttle. Will we be ready for it?"

Luka thought for a second, still not looking at her. "I don't know. I'd been hoping that he'd stay out of the picture for as long as possible, that way we'd have more time. Still though… try and keep him out of our way for another day, by then everything should be set up." He gave Sarah a moment to ingest that, he knew as well as she did that keeping him out of their way might not be something even she was capable of, but still she had to try. That was all they could do really, try, and bluff. 

***

Onica went through the motions of her morning routine, Unable to clearly focus on anything. Somehow her body worked without her, saying the right thing at the right time all on its own. In her mind the image of her mothers ring still glared, only it was on the hand of Sarah Pezzini. It didn't belong there, didn't belong anywhere really, it should have been buried with mother, but it hadn't. 

Last night the dreams had started again, the dreams and the memories, all triggered by that ring. Or maybe it was the Witchblade's proximity. It didn't really matter, when Onica was seized by the visions little ever did. As she finished up her first report of the morning, she decided that she had to do something about it. Or else she might go mad. Maybe Ian would call, his voice always did seem to ground her, make her feel just a little more human again. Then again, he probably wouldn't. Damn Irons. It was his entire fault. His fault that he was her father, his fault that the visions had returned, the visions that seared her mind and blurred the lines between hatred and insanity, the lines between her memories and mothers, and it was all because of that god damned ring.


	23. Misevaluation

Chap 22 Misevaluation

Chap 22 Misevaluation.

Ian glared angrily at the black and white photos before him, unable to believe what he was looking at. "These were taken this morning?" The words were calm and controlled, the tone born from years of experience and trail. Patience was the key here. If a man believed he was threatened he would yield no answers and this man's answers were vital.

He nodded then signaled that he had just developed them. Thinking quickly Ian realized that the frame of time now became within three hours. Looking up from the photo's he moved his gaze to the man before him, silently inquiring for the rest of the man's report. Sliding Ian a paper, the man still stood straight, his eyes taking in everything, the list was brief, and it listed Sarah's activities that morning, as well as Luka's current place of residence. Nodding Ian put the photo's down then reached into his Jacket for a lighter, quickly he set fire to the photo's up, watching them burn before reaching for the negatives and burning them as well. "You will tell no one what has happened today. These photos were never taken, and thus these events never occurred. Understand?" The man nodded, and when he blinked Ian had gone.

As he left the premise Ian worried. The man could not speak, he had no tongue, but that did not mean the man could not communicate. He could've killed him, except that Irons would have noticed and _that_ would've raised more questions then if the man did speak up. Those photographs were disturbing, the images burned themselves into his mind. They heightened his need to see Callie, but he had somewhere else he needed to be, or else he would be missed. An Assassins job was never done, and because of that Ian shoved aside his emotions, composing his face and thoughts. Irons would never know about those photos, Luka Giamano's life depended on that much.

***

Irons sat at his computer and cheeked over the electronic account books for Vorschlag, it was a tedious task, and one he did daily, but today he found it particularly hard to concentrate. His mind was instead occupied by Ian's report this morning what he'd said, Irons could tell was true but there were also the things he didn't say. Those things which were so much less conceivable. Irons was so caught up in his doubt that for once he did not notice Sarah's presence until she cleared her throat. Turning he found that she was studying both him and the room, at last she spoke, unwilling to give him the opportunity to best her before she began. "Well, I'll say I'm surprised. You actually **_do_** work." Smiling she walked up behind him and glanced briefly at the computer screen. "I thought you just sat around looking imperials all day." Irons quickly thought up a retort but unfortunately she was quicker turning away from him and dismissing his presence before he hand a chance to make a reply of any sort.

Languidly she walked around his study regarding the paintings that hung on the walls, occasionally running her hand over his well-stocked bookshelf. "Tell me Sarah, Is there a reason for you're disturbing my work? Or are you simply here to amuse yourself?" Sarah turned to him and cocked her head staring unblinkingly f. for a moment he felt unnerved, then dismissed the emotion as meaningless.

"Actually I was looking fir a phone book." He could've laughed, but her flat tone indicated she was serious, and for the first time Irons wondered if she was bored. In New Zealand he had work and physical therapy to do, as did Ian, but Sarah had nothing of the sort with which to occupy her time. He remembered Ian saying something about a heavy and a drum set in her apartment, and wondered if she missed them. Filing the information away, he returned his attention to Sarah, only to find that she had moved to study a painting on the far side of the room.

The sunlight sparkled throughout the gallery of copied painting. Elizabeth Bronte stood in front of one carefully scrutinizing it. Behind her Irons walked up and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Beautiful isn't it?" She nodded, and smiled.

"It reminds me of the Witchblade, a fallen knight at the feet of a beautiful – yet deadly woman. La Belle Dame Sans Merci." She stared at it some more, and her face became almost sad. Lost in thought. 

"… she lulled me asleep,   
And there I dream'd-ah! woe betide!   
The latest dream I ever dream'd   
On the cold hill's side. 

I saw pale kings and princes too,   
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;   
They cried- "La Belle Dame sans Merci   
Hath thee in thrall!" 

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,   
With horrid warning gaped wide,   
And I awoke and found me here,   
On the cold hill's side… "

Her eyes were riveted on the painting and Kenneth's eye's were riveted on her. "The Original was by Sir Frances Dicksie." She nodded but did not reply, and as they stood there Kenneth too looked at the painting, wondering what it was that drew a woman so powerful, to a painting so trivial. 

"Sarah?" Drawn out of her Vision, Sarah spun on her heels to face Irons, he sat in his chair with his Arrogance well in place. "Do you like the painting?" Narrowing her eyes, she shrugged.

"I need to go." Quickly she made for the door, and it was only when she reached it that he stopped her.

"Oh, by the way." Sarah paused but did not turn. "Here's the phone book. Flushing she took it. Then made an impossibly fast exit. Watching her, Irons thought that it almost matched Ian's. 

***

Returning to her room Sarah opened the phone book and after flipping around for a while, found what she was looking for. Picking up her phone, she quickly dialed the number Luka had given her this morning. "Hello?" 

"It's me. I have the information you wanted"

"That's taken care of as well, here's where to meet me…"


	24. Unforseen Designs

23 - Unforseen Designs

23 - Unforseen Designs

Callie paced across her living room for the umpteenth time, wondering where Ian was. He had been late before but never by this much, never nearly an hour. Logically she knew that that he was probably just detained by Irons, but some part of her had begun to panic. When the phone rang, she scrambled to it. Hoping it was Ian. "Hello?"

"Onica? It's me." Dovidi was surprised at how eager her voice had sounded. Wondering who exactly she had been expecting to call. "I was wondering if you had any plane." She hesitated, without replying, not sure how to take that, Dovidi simply continued "I was going to go river rafting with a few of the VP's but one of them canceled. I figured that since it was a company excursion, you might want to come."

Callie/Onica had trouble hiding her surprised, and silently thanked god that the telephone was not visual. Onica knew as well as anyone else who worked at Excelsior that one weekend every month the higharcy of the company mixed business and pleasure and went on a mini working vacation. Last month they had gone on a Yacht ride from Half Moon Bay to Dunedin and further to Omaru then all the way back. For a moment she contemplated, if she went it might possibly be useful not only to her career but to finding out how exactly her father was connected to Excelsior, but if Ian came and she was gone? Weighing her options she made a split second decision. "I'd love to."

"Great!" Dovidi smiled blissfully that she'd assented so readily. He had been expecting some opposition, and the lack of one threw him off slightly. "We'll be going to the main island so we'll be there over night. Hotel arrangements etc. have already been taken care of. I'll be pick you up in an hour if that's suitable?" Onica nodded, then remembered he couldn't see and assented vocally. "Great, see you then." Hanging up Dovidi immediately began packing up his suitcase, when he cleared his desk he saw that he'd left some photographs out. Namely photographs of Onica his valet had taken the previous night. Too lazy to mind them he quickly placed them in his desk drawer, and left. Completely oblivious to the trouble that they would soon cause. 

***

Luka felt the shadow's presence before he saw whom it belonged to. Silently he made a movement for his sidearm, but found himself stopped almost immediately. "Don't." at first he couldn't place the voice, it had too long since he heard it. But after a moment, it came back to him, it had been on that last horrible night, the last time he'd seen Callie.

"Ian." The statement was made bluntly, no surprise, no guilt, and no shock. Similarly the other confirmed him with no more then silence.

"There are eyes everywhere Luka, eyes that see all, and be sure that you were seen this morning. Just be glad that those eye's weren't Callie's." For a moment Luka's head reeled with confusion? What the heck did he mean? "Don't break her heart Luka, or I'll see to it that you're life is forfeit, and as to Sarah… Watch out of her, but don't you dare hurt her." Luka stood shock still, letting the cryptic words sink in, and at last he understood: Callie was here, in New Zealand, his heart leapt, then hardened with determination. He would find her he had to. And never in his mind, did he wonder about Ian's other words… or just how Callie would receive him.

***

In the pool hall where Sarah waited for Luka, she had already gained some small amount of infamy, it seemed that the men in New Zealand did not take losing very gracefully. At last, after she'd been there for some time, Luka arrived. Quickly he handed her a bag filled with clothing that she took silently and immediately took. Going to the bathroom she changed, then left the bag with the clothes she'd been previously wearing there. Returning she finally spoke. "Thanks, if there were any bugs in my clothing we shouldn't need to worry about them anymore." Luka nodded, waiting for her to relate the information that he'd come to collect. "I scoped out the security system at Excelsior this morning. It's pretty damn modern. They have everything from pressure activated panels to laser webs. If we want to get it… It's gonna be tough."

Luka nodded, and considered, racking up the balls while he was at it. "I assumed it would be. I have limited security disarming training, but it may not be enough…but if you're willing to take a risk then so am I."

Sarah assented as she broke, easily sinking both a solid and a stripe. She herself knew a thing or two about disarming security systems, she'd seen enough of them programmed to work backwards – or so she hoped. "I'll do it. As to Irons, his safe is behind a painting in his study… La Belle Dame Sans Merci. The painting is copy of one done by Sir Frances Dicksee, based on a poem by John Keats." So saying she moved around the table and sunk two more stripes. When Luka didn't say anything she turned to look at him and found that the color had drained from his face.

"That was Callie's favorite painting… I never knew that she'd seen it in her fathers house." Now it was Sarah's turn to freeze. Callie had been drawn to it as well? Was there something about the painting that drew the welders to it? Troubled Sarah suddenly lost interest in the pool game. 

"Let's go." Luka was confused for a second then realized that she meant Excelsior.

"You want to pull the job tonight?" He sounded incredulous, but she didn't blink, she knew what she wanted, and she knew she would get it.

"No time like the present remember?" Rolling his eyes Luka followed her to her car. 

"Driving a Ferrari to break into a multi billion dollar company? Are you trying to Ironic? Or are you trying to make us easier to spot?" Giving him a sidelong glance Sarah made a quick retort.

"Would you rather drive your Porsche? Because I doubt it would blend in any better." Silenced, Luka made a mock salute. "Just get in the car.

***

Half an hour later found the two of them at Excelsior. The building was dark and mostly abandoned save for the rare security guard. The two had parked a few blocks away and traveled the distance using New Zealand's Sewer system, something that Sarah hoped she would never have to repeat. Entering in the basement, Luka found that the security system was not as tamper proof as Sarah had at first assumed. In fact if he could cause a power surge, that would give them enough time to get from the basement to Luka's Tenth story office. From there, he could deactivate the security in that office, and then send another surge through a power outlet using some gadget he just happened to have thought to bring. 

Sarah found two faults with his plan, the first being that two power surges would surely alert security to their presence. Not only that, but even if they were successful there was no telling how soon the back up generator would kick in, or if they would run into security on their way up the stairs. Finally Luka came up with an alternate plan, he'd short wire the electricity to the entire neighborhood while Sarah sabotaged the Back up generator and they'd play it by ear from there. Not once did the matter of Sarah's occupation come up in their planning. After all, she was out of her jurisdiction.

As Luka worked diligently with the many wires running through the basement Sarah regarded the back up generator, wondering what would happen if she just ran the Witchblade through it. At last she decided to remove one of the panels. When her Swiss army knife didn't do the trick, she transformed the blade, using it to pry the panel open, then sliced as many wires as she could find before returning the panel to its place and changing the Witchblade back to its dormant form. It was a crude way to do things, but also extremely effective. Behind her Luka signaled that he was ready, giving him the signal, he shorted out the power, at which time the two made a mad dash for the stairs. Running up the stairs they reached Luka's office without bumping into any security. As Sarah opened the door to the office, Luka made to go forward stopped by her hand on his shoulder. Pointing she made a motion indication a laser in the doorframe, and pressure activated panels spanning a foot afterwards. Unsure what to do, Luka looked at her. Motioning him aside, she stepped back, then ran and flipped over the wire, landing a hairsbreadth away from the panels ended. For a moment he feared she would lose her balance, but surprising she didn't. Quickly she moved to the security panel located within the office and turned the laser off. Nodding for Luka to come forward. Leaping the panels he did so, then turned to close the door. 

Quickly the two made an expert assessment of the office, Sarah working her way through the file cabinet while Luka looked through his desk. When at last he came to the top drawer he recoiled in shock. Inside lay photographs of a cheery, beautiful woman, recently taken photographs or Calliope DeLancie.


	25. Broken Trusts

24 – Broken Trusts

24 – Broken Trusts.

Luka let out a hiss at the photographs, his anger building as he sifted through them. In one of the pictures she was dancing with Dovidi, a smile brightening her face. Luka was livid, as much with jealousy as with anger, yet at the same time he found himself wanting to laugh at the irony of it all. Luka was engrossed in the photographs that he barely noticed Sarah walking up behind him. "So you know." Luka floundered for a moment, then realized that Sarah had known about Callie all along. For a moment his emotions were mixed, but he quickly pushed them down, the mission came first. That much he owed to his family. Placing them back where he'd found them, Luka firmly dismissed the photographs from his mind, if not his heart.

"Later. Right now we have an objective." Curtly dismissing Sarah he returned to his search, fighting back irritation she did the same. After a few moments of working in silence, Sarah found what she presumed to be the safe. As she worked to get it open, the Witchblade hissed in warning. 

"Luka get under the desk." When he didn't move she dove toward him, using her momentum to roll them both under the desk just as the office door clicked open and a security guard ran his flashlight across the room. Fervently, Sarah prayed that nothing was out of place. 

"No one's in here, besides, the lasers probably still on. Mr. D'angitino's office isn't connected to the rest of the buildings security." As the security guard's voice disappeared, Luka and Sarah reappeared. As Sarah moved back to the safe, Luka mused over her amazing instincts, at last he came up to her and offered a hand.

As the safe clicked open Luka broke the silence. "Thanks for before, I didn't even notice the security guard coming." Sarah only nodded and proceeded to open the safe, then moved aside so that Luka could see what was in it. 

"It's here!" Luka kept his voice down to an excited whisper as he removed a rack of test tubes the safe. Seeing them Sarah frowned.

"Damn it Luka how the hell are we supposed to get this stuff out of here?" but already Luka was taking care of them, from his pocket he removed a cigarette case, inside were empty glass tubes quickly he removed the barest bit of liquid from each tube. Cursing when came up one tube short. Suddenly Sarah's watch beeped, reminding them that they were on a timetable. "Five minutes." Nodding Luka began to return the contents of the safe to their place. Quickly the two of them left, disappearing like writhes in a mist.

***

"Your room miss." Onica gratefully tipped the bellboy before finding the bedroom and dropping onto the bed. She was in the princess suite, courtesy of Dovidi. Sighing she rolled over onto her stomach and drew a pillow down to her cheek. Emotionally, it had been an extremely trying day, she had kept a smile on her face, a pleasant manor, and yet an attitude befitting someone who was amongst her betters. Onica didn't think of those people as her betters, and _that_ was what had made the trip from half moon bay to Invercargill so difficult. The train ride that followed from there was even more torturous, Dovidi had been beyond kind, and that too had been a bother rather then a comfort. Burying her face in the pillow, Onica wanted nothing more then to sleep, but she had things she needed to take care of. Quickly she got up, and headed for the door, what she needed to do she couldn't do from where she was. Not so much because of any restraints the room produced but because paranoia would not allow it.

***

Erik stood stiffly at attention waiting for his immediate superior to finish his latest tirade. "…You used to be one of the best, and THIS is all you get. Damn it, a list of names does us NOTHING, nothing. This assignment is important; you know what the timetable is. Now go." Still simmering at his curt dismissal. Erik turned on his heel and left, he was trying his hardest on this assignment, but so far his only tie to excelsior enterprises was Onica, and his closest contact had been last night. Erik was so lost in his own thoughts that he barely noticed when Onica walked across the hall right in front of him. It wasn't until he had neared the elevator that he'd registered her presence. Cursing himself for his own daftness spun 180 degrees on his heel then immediately went down the same hall way she did, following her at a distance, but close enough to hear her. As she wound her way through the hotel grounds she glanced over her shoulder more then once. At last she stopped and pulled out her cell phone. Dialing in a number she glanced about herself nervously. As if she expected herself to be followed, she kept moving about as she waited for the phone to ring on the other end.

"Ian, It's me …Don't worry, I'm safe… I know… I can't talk; someone's following me… I know… Expect me back on Monday. I'll be ok… I will." Hanging up she quickly began moving back to the building. Leaving Erik in stunned silence. She knew he was following her that meant that she must have had some training to that end and her own conversation was indeed cryptic at best. It worried him, if even Onica Kohl wasn't who he thought she was, then he was truly on his own. Finally he decided to do what he had kept from doing up to now taking out his own cell phone, he dialed a number of his own.

"David? It's me… listen closely, I need you to do something for mer. Something important."


	26. 

Chap 25 

Chap 25

Changed back into the clothing Irons had bought for her, Sarah returned to the beach house. When she got there, she found that Ian was not in sight and that Irons was no where to be seen. Colleen too seemed to have disappeared into thin air. When she reached her rooms Sarah found a hot plate of food and a glass of wine on her vanity, with laughter she ate the macaroni and cheese, still on a high from the job she'd just pulled, ignoring the wine as she always did. Walking into her sitting room Sarah stopped dead in her tracks. A quarter of the room had been cleared away, a mat placed over the carpet. From the roof hung a heavy bag. For a moment she simply gaped. Then walking closer she found a set of boxing gloves and workout clothes. Pinned to the gloves was a note penned in an overly ornate hand, it said simply 'a gift.'

For only a minute did Sarah stand there frowning. She had been longing for a little time to think, and when it came to a punching bag was her best fried.

The rapids that morning had been exhilarating, both Onica and Dovidi had been able to forget their troubles as they concentrated on the thrill of navigating the river. Now as they drove back to the hotel for afternoon conferences, they both felt more comfortable in each other's presence, sharing a comfortable silence. Dovidi had been pleased with his weekend thus far, and only the memory of Luka and Sarah dancing marred it. Besides him Onica sensed the shift in his manor.

"What's wrong?" Dovidi was surprised she'd noticed normally he concealed his emotions well, but seeing that she was truly concerned, he decided that she deserved an answer.

"I've been negotiating a difficult business deal, I'm one of three parties involved. The other is a representative of a fairly influential family named Luka Giamano, and the third is an American billionaire by the name of Kenneth Irons. Luka Giamano can be rather unreasonable at times, and I had been hoping Mr. Irons would help me with Mr. Giamano's demands. Unfortunately it seems that Irons' representative… A Ms. Sarah Pezzini is on rather… familiar terms with Mr. Giamano. Now what exactly am I supposed to do about that? Mr. Irons holds Ms. Pezzini in high esteem… It seems that between them, the three of them have trapped me rather neatly." Beside Dovidi, Onica had gone rather pale, Luka and Sarah? Was it possible? Ian had told her about her mother's ring and about how she had misinterpreted its meaning. But could Luka too have fallen under her father's stranglehold? Oblivious to her turmoil Dovidi went on. "Ms. Pezzini is supposed to be mourning the recent loss of her fiancé, yet her behavior is hardly that of a woman in mourning." Sighing Dovidi turned to Onica, and seeing how pale her face was he furrowed his own brow. "Never mind, I shouldn't be troubling you with this. We're here to have a good time, not mourn." Beside him Onica too smiled, suddenly she found herself don a mask that she had learned to wear at the age of three.

"Damn it Ken, I said no!" The voice of her parents filtered through the dining room door, the strange English words meant nothing to her, but the livid anger in their tone meant everything. Peeking through the crack she had opened, she found her mother and father facing off in anger across the table. "She's only three years old. She will NOT bear the blade." Her mother's eyes promised madness, but her father's only coldness. She had never seen him like this, had never seen the cold steal obsession there. 

"I love you Yien-Yien, but I will not be disobeyed. Our daughter WILL bear the blade… because she must." His voice was almost cajoling, soft and sweet, but firm to no end. Somehow this scared Callie more then anything else she had seen of him.

"NO!" Yien-Yien filled her voice with malice, "She is **my **daughter, and she will NEVER suffer that fate. Not so long as I live" Suddenly Irons paced across the floor and grabbed Yien-Yien by her arm. The two glared at each other, love and hate mingling into a horrible fusion. Suddenly Kenneth threw his wife across the room. In that moment he ceased to be Callie's father, Yien-Yiens husband, and in the eyes of his family ceased to be human. As she fell upon the floor, Yien-Yien's eyes went to the door and saw her daughter there, as the two watched each other Callie saw a strength that would always be with her mother, that weeks later, would deliver her to her death. 

A tear slid down Callie's cheek. The memories had not returned to her until she met Sarah, the memories of that night and the morning after when she had been forced to act with nonchalance and almost cheeriness. Somehow it felt as if those memories had brought her full circle.

***

As Sarah prepared for bed her phone rang incessantly. "Hello?" On the other end was the voice of Gabriel Bowmen, but it wasn't the same voice she'd heard two days ago. This voice was tired, haggard. His tone frightened her, made her wonder just what had happened since she'd left.

"Sarah… I'm so sorry but according to Dante your recently deceased partner," Sarah winced at his choice of words, "was Danny Woo. When I went to Jake's apartment, there was a living there, when I hacked into a few records I found that it belongs to them, in fact they've been living there for the past three Years. Sarah I think I was right the first time… Jake never existed."


	27. Validations

sts26 

Chap. 26 Validation

It wasn't until she had woken that Sarah knew she'd slept. Huddled on her bed, the curtains drawn closed, she had sat there the previous night, and called for Danny. She tried the method that Irons had taught her, and she'd even tried praying, but the entire night she had remained alone, lost inside of her mind, wondering at her own sanity. When Colleen came up to ask if she'd be down for breakfast, Sarah had said almost nothing, telling her only to shut the door on her way out. And for hours more she simply sat, going over every memory she had of Jake.

Christmas memories, case memories, tearful memories. Then she remembered Snowflake, if snowflake existed, then surely Jake did to – didn't he? Her mind ached, and so did her heart. The Witchblade had done horrible things to her before, but never something this cruel. As she stared off into space, she once again whispered to the air. "Where are you Danny? Why aren't you here when I need you?" 

***

Erik cursed his luck as he heard the key turning in the lock. He knew that he should've been more careful. Had it not been for his own stupidity he would not be trapped in Onica's rooms now. The first rule of the game was to cheek his subject's itinerary, double cheek it, and then make like hell if it's even slightly off. Erik was loosing his edge, rather he was loosing his will to keep it. He knew he was being reckless, knew even that he was wrong in taking unnecessary risks, but somehow he'd stopped caring about being the best. He's lost almost all of his humanity, and only Onica had been able to recapture it… and now… now he didn't know who she was anymore – who he was.

***

Callie lay her jacket across the bed and headed straight for the safe located on the other side of the room. With almost inhuman speed, she drew out a china doll in a Qing dynasty dress. It had long black hair that was neatly combed and its face was almost her own. "Hello Mother." Taking the doll back to the bed, she sat down and leaned heavily against the pillows. "I remembered something today… its actually been happening a lot lately. Memories that shouldn't be there but are. How can it be mother? How can I possibly remember things from so long ago?" Callie paused… the sensation of being listened to crept over her, making her wonder if maybe her mother was there after all. "Luka's in New Zealand mom. Closer then I ever wanted him to be. The worst part is that I might actually see him. Mom, the only thing that's kept me from going back to New York is knowing that if I do, father might kill him. But now they're both here. Both so close that I'm almost suffocated… even though they haven't even seen me.

"Sarah's here too, she's here with father… I'm worried about her. Worried about what might happen to her if she keeps walking the path she's on. She's so strong mom, so much stronger that I am or was but even so I don't think she'll make it alone. Dovidi says that she's turned to Luka, that she's really close to Luka, somehow I don't believe that. My heart of hearts tells me that they might be friends but never that. I pity her mom. Sarah will never be able to love fully unless she can trust fully, but with fathers influence in her life, I don't think she ever will." Callie talked for some minutes more then lay down and napped. As she slept, Erik left, tiptoeing his way out of her rooms. His heart thudding from what he had learned. He didn't exactly understand why Onica called a doll 'mother' but he had learned two things. The first was the information Onica had relayed to the doll. The second was that her telephone call last night had been to her brother. As he checked out of the hotel and headed for the train station, he again felt hope, suddenly sorry that he'd been so dubious the previous night.

***

It was two in the afternoon when the silence in Sarah's bedroom was finally broken. She had gotten up, showered, and changed her clothes a few hours ago but the food on her bureau remained untouched, the curtains around her bed drawn. "Sarah, are you all right?" Glancing through her curtains Sarah was unable to hide her surprise that Irons had enter her rooms without knocking. Then mentally she kicked herself, _this _was his normal behavior. Behavior she'd almost forgotten. 

"No, I'm not." She was startled by her own frankness and worried when he pulled the curtains open and sat down besides her. Almost invisibly she tensed, ready to call upon the Witchblade if he so much as moved a muscle. Then calming down slightly she decided that this could be used to her advantage. "I was thinking about my partner… about his death… wondering if I'll ever see him again." To Irons she stared off into space for a moment, but Sarah was in truth gauging him. "Did you even know his name?"

Irons seemed surprised for a second but hid it well. "Of course. Danny Woo. The two of you were very close, but in all honesty, I hadn't expected this level of… melancholy from you.." Sarah's heart thudded, and tears suddenly began welling in her eyes, doubts of her own sanity springing up, Irons of course misread them, quickly he stood up, his entire manor apologetic. "I'm sorry… how callous of me." Sarah couldn't even bring herself to smile weakly, instead she stood up hastily and moved to the bureau. Grabbing her car keys she fled the room. Leaving Irons to wonder just what he'd done.

***

An hour and several wrong exits later, Sarah found herself at Luka's hotel. She was somewhat calmer, but her mind was still mostly in turmoil. Practically running up to his room, she banged on the door and when it was opened didn't even wait to be invited in. "I need it Luka, I need the bag I gave you two days ago." Luka was completely confused, but complied, removing the gym bag from under his bed and handing it to her. Faster then he could see, she unzipped it and pulled out a photo album, quickly she flipped through it, then to his utter surprise, leaned against the wall and burst into tears.


	28. Junctions

Chap 27 

Chap 27 - Junction

Ian simmered with anger as he watched Sarah run into Luka's apartment, then practically fall against the wall in tears. It was a familiar anger, one that he'd always hidden a hatred for his so-called father that had lied dormant until Callie's reappearance in his life. He hadn't understood what was happening when Ken went into Sarah's room an hour ago… from where he'd stood in the wing of the house he'd heard only footsteps, Irons sitting, then Sarah's footsteps running. She had driven erratically, taken several wrong turns and missed several traffic signs. Irons had upset he, and the first person she'd turned to was Luka. _Luka, not me… and yet I'm the one who considers her family. _Ian knew Sarah didn't trust him, that knowledge hurt as it always had, but somehow sharper then before. Sarah didn't trust him… and yet she trusted Irons… trusted the one man who _would_ hurt her.

***

Luka was amazed, in fact astounded wasn't even putting it lightly. He felt awkward, not knowing what to do. Most of his life Luka had been surrounded by strong women who were sometimes unfaltering then he himself was. To see Sarah crying was almost as strange and surreal as watching Callie cry. Finally, feeling like a useless lout. He took a tissue, went up to her, sat down against the wall beside her and handed her the tissue. Finally after a few moments she was herself again. Picking up the photo album, she turned it to the first page. "This picture was taken six months ago, when it was taken my partner was Danny Woo. Not long after Danny was killed during a shoot out at the Realto Theater, more accurately he was killed before the shoot out started." She stared at the photo for a second, then turned the page; "This is Detective Jake McCarty three years before his death. Detective McCarty was my partner for the last few months… he died a week or so ago." This time she looked off into space as Luka stared at the photo. It was almost familiar, the man in it stirring a distant memory of some sort or other.

She flipped the pages till she reached the end, then gave it to Luka "According to the police department, his landlord, and Kenneth Irons. No such person exists. His apartment has been rent to a couple for the past two years. At the job they say I never had a partner named Jake McCarty. When I called his family in California the number was disconnected. Electronic databases say he never existed… there isn't any birth, death, or marriage certificate. His ashes were scattered in the ocean so there's no grave…. Without this picture, I think I'd check myself into an asylum."

Luka watched the picture then looked at her. "You miss him don't you?"

Sarah nodded, then stared off slightly, as if lost in the past. "I remember finding him asleep on my couch on Christmas morning, he'd spent the entire night decorating my apartment. When I woke him up he was so embarrassed at being caught that he as completely speechless." A smile came to her lips, it was one of the few happy memories she had of this previous year. "We spent that entire day playing with a kitten he'd given me for Christmas." Sarah lowered her head it was just a memory. The only holiday memory she had of Jake. "And now they all say he doesn't exist."

Luka looked at Sarah, then standing up he offered her his hand she took it and allowed him to lead her to the table in his sitting area. "He exists Sarah, you know that. The only thing we have to do now is find him." surprised at his choice of words Sarah looked closely at Luka, but his eyes were unreadable. They held warmth, but their meaning was unreadable.

***

A little pink nose poked out of the basket it had been sleeping in, something wasn't right, things didn't smell right. Lightning quick a little pink tongue also poked out, that told her that things were even stranger then she thought. "Meow?" suddenly she noticed that she was moving, she didn't like it. It distorted all her senses.

"Oh no, the damn cats awake." The voice human, male, but it wasn't one of the two she recognized. 

"I know, I can't believe we're being paid to kidnap a _CAT. _Who's the client anyway?" This voice was feminine and sweet. It was more melodic then the one female voice she recognized. 

"Meow!" She was getting irritated, she wanted this incessant movement to stop, and she wanted someone to feed her. Maybe the person with the soft hands who smelled like cow skin all the time, or the longhaired one who smelled like lamb skin, with the gentle voice. Laying her head down she began to clean herself, humans, how was a cat ever to understand them?

***

"Snowflake?" Gabe dropped his keys on the table as he slammed the door shut behind him, calling out for snowflake, it was strange, but having someone (as he'd begun to think of snowflake) to come home to everyday had become strangely comforting. Today though, snowflake wasn't waiting for him on the couch, or even on one of the antiques Gabriel always chided him for sitting on. In fact, there wasn't a trace of the cat anywhere in his apartment.

***

When Callie got off of Dovidi's Yacht her first thought was of Ian, she needed to find him, but had no idea where. She could hardly go to her father house. It would defeat the entire purpose of having come to New Zealand. As she sat in her car, wondering where to go, she unconsciously did something that she'd known how to since she was two. Calling out with her mind, she suddenly became calm, and drove without thinking, navigating without knowing so.

***

Luka turned on his cell phone, waiting for the signal to be scrambled before dialing Gorgio's number. After listening to Sarah's conversation he had come up with an idea, it was a method his father had used to find those who eluded him. A method that those involved with the law knew absolutely nothing about. "Gorgio? It's me… yes I know, things are progressing… I've found a friend of mine here… yes, we can trust her… Don't worry about it. Listen, I need a favor…. Please, I owe you a million….I'm trying to find someone, his name is Jake McCarty. He's disappeared into thin air and no one can find him…. but they don't know where to look…"

As Luka spoke, Sarah sat in the next room drinking tea. Against her wrist the Witchblade began to swirl. Only this time she didn't feel it, but outside Luka's window, Ian did.

***

Ian felt the Witchblade and immediately began looking around, it was still daylight, and cars drove in and out of the parking lot freely, surprisingly Ian immediately honed in on one, a black impala. Somehow the car seemed driven to him and stopped in front him. When the engine turned off, he knew who it was despite the tinted windows. "What are you doing here?" 

Callie heard Ian even through the sound insulated doors. She had tapped into the Witchblade without wearing it, it was what her father had wanted to do for her since birth, it was what her mother had always feared. "I came looking for you." It was strange, the two spoke to each other in whispers, they shouldn't have been able to hear each other, but they did. "Sarah' here… and he is to isn't he?" Ian didn't question who 'he' was. Only nodded inperceivablely to acknowledge her words, and strangely she felt it. "Let's go." Ian got into the car, and allowed Callie to drive off, unable to grasp her thoughts. For once he was frightened, what had happened to his sister?


	29. Photos

Hi everyone! I know that I haven't written notes in front of my chapters for a long time, but I'd like to ask you two things, first do you think that the font is too small? And secondly do you feel as if this story is dragging out with no direction whatsoever? I'm beginning to think I made a major mistake in ways I wrote part of this and would most definitely appreciate some input. Thank you. 

Chap. 28 Photos

Dovidi sat in front of his computer watching the disturbing image on his screen. He had planned to use the implications of this photograph to his advantage but he stood wavering. It was an advantage that he desperately needed, but the past two days had greatly weakened his resolve. In the silence of his study, he could hear the clock ticking, it's precise pendulum taunting him. The choice had to be made, but could he make it? After long moments, he did make his decision, reaching for the phone and dialing in the number he had forced himself to memorize, but when it came time to hit the 'send' key he hesitated. Finally he put the phone down and headed for his safe instead, his decision could wait, in the mean time he had something else he needed to do, something important.

***

Callie drove at breakneck speed, wanting to get away from Luka as fast as she could. Ian could tell that she was still tapped into the Witchblade, but he also knew that she didn't. When she finally parked they were within sight of the ocean and as she stared at it she seemed to let go of the power and slip back into herself. "I need your help Ian." Callie spoke softly, but still despair and disbelief colored her voice. She was wavering, he could tell, unsure of whether or not she could keep herself from running to him now that she knew where he was. But it wasn't this that worried her, it something far different, something more immediate and almost equally important.

***

From a few yards away, a woman sat in the upper branches of a tree, wondering what to do. She couldn't take photo's through the tinted windows of the car it wasn't possible. The same tinting prevented her from lip reading. This was a predicament, technically it gave her nothing to report. Yet on the other hand, this was important. She sat there for a few moments, then decided to record the event, she would record it, but unless the need arose she would keep it to herself, this was her job after all, it was her decision how to do it.

***

When Luka finally got off the telephone, Sarah was again herself. When he sat down, she immediately began satisfying her own curiosity. "Did you finish the Lab analyses" Luka was surprised by her choice of conversation but oddly found it reassuring; it was exactly how Callie would react.

"I've completed three of the five vials. One contains one version of my fathers creation, the second another. Both of which I know was given to Dovidi's father, the third contains small pox. What I'm worried about right now is the one we didn't get, by tomorrow morning, I'll know what's in the other two. The problems gonna be guessing at that final one." Luka didn't have to say what he was afraid of, that was obvious. The whole point of this was to see if Dovidi had the antidote. If the other two turned out negative then it held off the dread of knowing Dovidi had the antidote, but it also left the sixth vial as a wild card, putting them right back where they started.

"It that's the case we'll deal with that when the time comes. What we need now is a plan for tomorrow." Sarah spoke with certainty, and Luka realized that they needed to plan for the worst. Taking out the list of people who had been at Dovidi's gala the evening before he began to go down the list, one name at a time, focusing on each and every person as if their lives depended on it, and in more then one way, it did.

***

Irons stared hard at the photos in his hand. "Where did you get these?" his voice was cold, nonchalant, and had Dovidi been a better study of character he would've seen the well-concealed fury.

"From an associate." Dovidi would've left it at that, but Irons glared at him long and hard, forcing him to give a more complete answer. "From a mutual enemy – or so I thought." Dovidi wasn't normally stupid, if he were he wouldn't have come this far. But something about Kenneth Irons manor unsettled him enough so that all his careful self-control evaporated.

"Or so you thought? Mr. D'angitino, you've yet to give me a name. WHO took these photographs?" Kenneth was loosing his patience, since the beginning Dovidi hadn't mentioned who it was that he dubbed their 'common enemy'. Until now he had been willing to use the boy's stupidity and arrogance to his control, but these photographs said something else entirely, they told him that the worst was true. This 'enemy' was far more resourceful then Dovidi had cared to tell him – and far more intelligent they he had first assumed.

"Luka Giamano." Irons eyes snapped up sharply, his body gone tense. Was it possible? So he had underestimated the boy, or at least mistaken his daughter's taste in men. Luka Giamano… this certainly made things more interesting. The question now, was what he was after, revenge? Or a profit? From what Irons could tell, it was likely not the latter.

"It seems that more to discuss then I thought." And for the first time ever, Irons invited Dovidi to be seated, this would most definitely take a while.

***

As Onica stepped onto the beach she breathed in deeply. It was odd, but she had been much disconcerted by the breaking of this ritual the last two nights. She also missed being able to talk to Erik every night, for a moment she was sad because even that had changed, when she had not even known his name, he had been a confidante and a comfort, but now that she did know he was, she felt almost disconcerted. When she reached the place where they usually met, he was already awaiting her. For a moment they just watched the waters movement, till she decided on a focus for their conversation.

"Ah – you have lived so soft, what should you know of the night,

The blast and the burning shame and the bitter frost and the fright?"

She could tell he was surprised by her words, unsure of what she meant, so he only looked at her, telling her to go on.

"--- he was always so wild -----

and idle – and couldn't be idle – he never could rest.

The king should have made him a solider, he would have been one of his best."

Erik again looked at her, this time with comprehension "You think you can save him," She nodded. "But who?" 

Onica stared off at the ocean, leaning her head on her knees. "Do you remember what I told you about my brother?" Erik nodded, he knew about her brother the two of them were close, despite long and distant separation. "Then there's something else you need to know – or more accurately, something more, I need to say."


	30. Preparations

Well, thanks for the comments on the last chapter, what I meant about direction though was in terms of emotions, it's been so hard to write this so that it doesn't sound like a soap opera, not only that, but to write 'x' so that 'n' still makes sense. I've known how the plot would go, ( I mean I'm not even done writing story two of this trilogy, and I'm already mapping out story one of the next,) but writing out relationships and peoples mental states is what's difficult.

Remember - I NEED feedback - I live on it J 

Chap 29 - Preparations

"The last recorded record of him is a ticket bought a month ago for a plane flying to France. Accordingly he never boarded that plane. His telephone calls were made to various people, all of them have been traced and cheeked except three, and those three telephone numbers have been _very_ well hidden. In fact – they're not on his 'official' telephone records at all. As of now I've had no luck tracing them." Gorgio sat in front Carlo, between them two glasses of sherry and a folder, As Gorgio spoke Carlo looked through the folder, finally he put it down.

"This man's most definitely not dead." Carlo's words were strong in their conviction, and while brief, they summarized what had become their only possibility. "Dead men don't vanish." 

***

Even before Sarah opened her eyes, she knew that something was different, the entire vibe of Irons' had changed over night. Even in the seclusion of her room, she could smell the fresh coffee wafting up from the kitchens, feel the soft scurry of servants everywhere. She didn't know if it was the Witchblade that allowed her to sense these things, but she was glad she did all the scents and sounds were strange for Irons household, but it reminded her of a normal home. _Home,_ she thought, _how strange it is to associate such a thought with such a man._

When Sarah had finished showering and had changed into a morning robe, Colleen came in looking chipper, but flushed. As if she too sensed the buzz that seemed to float about the house today. "Morning Miss." Colleen held something over her arm as she came in, holding a box in her hand. "Master Irons told me to bring these to you, he'd like you to wear them this morning." When Sarah unzipped the black dry cleaners bag she found a stunning black silk suit, it was tailored to fit somewhere between her tastes and Irons, that it would fit perfectly was already a given. In the other box, was a stunning diamond choker and matching earrings, but somehow she had become accustomed to such extravagances.

Setting her outfit down, she allowed Colleen pin her hair up elaborately, and then to do her makeup, when Sarah finally slipped into the suit she knew that she looked nothing like her normal self. Inwardly she was praying that she wouldn't mess things up, wouldn't do something to give away her motives behind conforming to Irons. As she moved to close the clasp on the back of her necklace, a sudden blinding vision overtook her sense.

The room was cold, too cold for mid August, the curtains around the bed were drawn tightly. The shape of a pale form within was barely visible. Nearby stood two forms huddled closely together, deep in conversation. It was a grim Tableau, upon one mans face worry and confusion were clearly etched. On the second, cold curiosity was the only visible emotion. Sarah couldn't hear the words, they were muffled, distant. They both looked surreal, crisp and clean as if they, like their suits, had just been dry-cleaned. The woman in the bed was cold too, almost icy, she was cold, and, as Sarah suddenly realized, dead.

With a sharp in drawn breath, the diamonds clattered to the floor. The face of the dead woman was her own.

***

Irons gave a small barely visible start, the twin circles over his hand sending a cold, almost electric shock up his arm. For once he had no idea where it came from nor why. Nearby a slight clang was heard as a clumsy servant hit a coffeepot against a cup. Testily he snapped at the unfortunate girl, who quickly retreated out of the breakfast room, bringing the coffee up to Sarah. With his teeth clenched Irons took a deep breath. This was _not_ how things were supposed to go, in fact, it almost felt as if something were working against him.

***

Ian almost smiled as he watched Irons fume and fidget, living in a household filled with life was something that Irons had almost forgotten. Something that no doubt brought about unpleasant memories, and maybe – if he was human- guilt. Today was an important day for Irons, one that shouldn't be started off badly, but Callie had asked him to make sure that it did, and Ian never could refuse his little sister. For a moment yesterdays events came back to him, and so did his searing anger at Sarah's mistrust. He bit it back though, right now, Ian needed to retreat because Nottingham, the assassin, was needed.

***

Erik sat in the news van going over every detail of the blues prints one last time. Already he had memorized the placement of every pressure panel, every laser trip, and every security camera. The damned thing was that someone else had broken into the computers here two days ago, so every damned security guard was on an alert status, and the security system itself had been added it. It was the additions that now had to look out for. Against his wrist his watch beeped, one hour, then it'd be show time.


	31. The launch of the main event

Happy Thanksgiving!

30 The Launch of the big affair

Irons was worried. Sarah hadn't yet spoken a word that morning, she had ate breakfast in her room and then descended from it silent and stony. Her entire demeanor had been cold, frozen, and almost, he detected, frightened. She had smiled a little shakily and they had left, but the entire time she hadn't spoken a single word. He called it worry, but deep inside he knew it was concern, the concern disconcerted him, it was something he hadn't felt for a long time, a long, long time. 

***

__

Dovidi D'angitino is either an idiot, or a genius, was the general consensus amongst Armand Parsigie and his various colleges. To hold this type of a meeting a public place, with so many witnesses did two things, one it exposed them to many unwelcome eyes and two it deflected any real interest by disguising any real importance. As they began to settle in around the table, Armand inspected the others around him, most were of minimal concern to him, all had at least one bodyguard. Four of the seats remained empty, the people who would fill those four seats were likely the most influential in this matter. One would go to Mr. D'angitino, one to the creator of this weapon, and one to whomever was backing Dovidi. The fourth was the mystery to all present.

As if on cue, the door, which until then had been closed after each man had entered, was opened and then held by a man with black hair and dressed in a dark suit. Behind him, entered a stunning woman in a black suit and a diamond choker, she came in on the arm of Kenneth Irons. Kenneth Irons was well known in many circles, and while somewhat unusual, his participation was unsurprising. The woman on the other hand was a mystery, she had an air of strength and elegance walking through the room she took no notice of anyone. Armand Parsigie soon saw that it wasn't arrogance that colored her stride, but assurance. She was not worried for the simple reason that she didn't care.

***

Jake McCartny watched the feed from the hidden cameras half-bored. No one in the meeting room was doing anything halfway interesting – or incriminating. Armand Parsigie sat imperiously looking down on everything, most of the others sat still, carefully arrogant and disinterested. Nearby bodyguards sized each other up. Looking for as many alternate exists as possible. When the door at last opened, Jake was almost glad to see Kenneth Irons walk through – _he_ should at least do something interesting, a nanosecond later however, that thought changed. _Sarah?_ He could hardly believe himself as he watched his former partner walk in on the arm of Kenneth Irons, wearing diamonds that had recently been stolen from the Louvre no less. She was steely that for a moment he wondered if it really was her, then came to the conclusion that it was. 

Barely had he come to terms with this discovery when the host of this affair, Dovidi D'angitino came in. Jake noted that Dovidi was not the last to arrive as was custom, but that one seat still remained empty, puzzled he returned to the list that had been retrieved from Dovidi's computer and saw that all fifteen names could be matched to a face in the room. Could it be a misplaced chair? Not likely, in Dovidi's world, even a carelessly placed chair could mean severe punishment for whoever had put it their, who then could it be for?

When the door opened again, an agonizing five minutes later he strained his eyes to see who it was. When he recognized the face he felt his own eyes widen in astonishment. The man was Luka Giamano, and Jake found once again that everything tied back to Sarah. Remembering his orders however, he quickly turned on his COM unit. "All present, two wildcards. Sarah Pezzini and Luka Giamano, both from New York."

***

Sarah and Luka… Erik turned his COM unit off as he suddenly realized where he'd heard those names before – Onica had said them. As he thought about it, he remembered her saying something about Luka being closer then he was supposed to and Sarah being in perilous danger. He mulled over that conversation, trying to recall every detail, he was so engrossed in fact that he almost missed Dovidi's office. Scolding himself he backtracked slightly and began working on the ceiling panel, moving it away so that he could lower himself down. 

It was broad daylight, so there was no way for him to know where the lasers were if they had been repositioned, what he did know however was that he had their previous locations memorized. Landing softly on the office floor, he moved stealthily towards the painting behind which stood a safe. When he'd moved the painting he was glad to get to back to good old safe cracking and diligently he set to work. When he got the combination however, he found that he was not careful enough and in opening the safe door, he tripped a laser. Knowing immediately what he'd done, he returned the safe back to it's original condition and made for the vent from which he had come. Cursing quite fluently all the while. He'd botched jobs before, but this had to take the cake. As he disappeared from the room, Security guards came running in.

__

Damn he thought, _looks like plan B's gonna have to do after all._

***

Sarah knew that things were not going well the minute Luka came in. His late entrance had been planned, hoping to anger Dovidi enough to cause an error in judgement, in stead it only elicited a cold disdain, and an even cooler slight. Behind her mask of nonchalance, Sarah wondered just what it was that gave Dovidi this confidence. Then mentally kicked her self for not having thought of it sooner. Dovidi knew Irons backed him, this knowledge was enough to give him all the confidence he needed. Languidly Sarah turned her eyes to Kenneth, and saw that his eyes were fixed on Luka with a mix of hostility, resentment, and – she was surprised to see – regret. When he noticed her eyes on him, he turned to look at her, Sarah in turn raised an eyebrow and gave him an 'I'm bored' look. He smiled tightly and returned his gaze to where it had previously been fixed.

At long last Dovidi began t get to the matter at hand. "Now that everyone has finally arrived, I think its high time we begin. At present I don't believe that introductions are necessary, in a business like ours, the more secrecy the better." Around the table a few eyebrows rose. 'Get to the point' was clearly etched on more then one face. Dovidi himself was eager to get the matter at hand, but before he could continue, the door opened and one of his own bodyguards stepped in. Walking up quickly he murmured a few quick words in Italian, and of those within hearing distance only Luka heard, his eyes immediately filling with something akin to mischief. Dovidi almost growled and barked a quick order also in Italian. The bodyguard lowered his eyes and slowly backed out of the room. When Dovidi turned back to the gathering he was clearly trying to get his temper under control. Looking the Luka Sarah saw him mouth two words to her, and she too almost smiled. His words were simply said, 'security breach'.

***

Onica's mind was far from the boring report that she was typing. Wondering instead why it was that Dovidi had asked her to make an appearance at his meeting this afternoon. He hadn't asked her to bring any work, or even get coffee. He had simply requested her presence, as she thought about it, she forgot to pay attention to her surroundings, and when a voice came from behind her, the first thing she did was reach for a gun to point at it. Making a very strange seance when she finally processed the words.

"I need your help." 

***

You know, it's depressing to have the same three of four people reviewing me, does that mean no one else is reading? I'd do the whole 10 review thing Icani started – everyone else seems to be – but frankly I know I'd never get the next chapter that way. Please folks, make a poor college student happy and give her a review, especially when come Monday she has to go look for a new job. Please? It might just give her enough incentive to write the next chapter! 


	32. The Main Event Cont.

Chap31 The main Event cont.

Of all the things that Gabriel had lost, Snowflake was the one that he most regretted, never mind that Sarah would likely kill him, or that the cat had been the only _real_ link which still remained to Jake, the fact of the matter was he missed the cat. Already he had done everything he could think of – the memory of filing a missing person's report for a cat with Dante looking on (and laughing) was still vivid in his mind. 

At last, it was desperation that drove him to browsing pet store, while he thought it unlikely, pets being bought and resold wasn't exactly unheard of. After a few minutes the store attendant was finally freed up and able to talk to him. "Hi! I need help, a few weeks ago my girlfriend's cat died. She's been really depressed and her birthdays coming up so I thought I'd get her another one. Do you have a cat that looks like this?" Gabriel took out a picture of Snowflake that'd been taken a few weeks ago and handed it to the store attendant. After the man had looked at it for awhile he gave Gabe an eye over.

"You want an albino Russian Blue? Son, these cats are so rare that _I've_ never even seen one – much less sold one." He handed the picture back to Gabriel and then added as an afterthought. "Cat like that'll cost you a pretty penny too." 

"How much?"

"A normal female kitten is about $600, an albino can be double that." The figure caused Gabe to raise an eyebrow, if these cats were _that_ rare and expensive then Jake had not only been resourceful – he'd had quite a bit of money to spare as well.

***

"Erik? What are you doing here?" Onica looked and sounded both incredulous and disbelieving, and under the circumstances that didn't surprise him. What did however, was the dangerous – and highly illegal – gun that she was pointing at him.

"Um… that'll take a bit of explaining – but I need help – and I tend to think more coherently when the gun isn't pointed at me." Raising an eyebrow Onica lowered the gun, unfortunately she didn't put it down. "This is going to sound crazy… but I'm with Interpol." Erik did not bother to mention that Interpol was a cover and that 'CIA agent' was his more accurate title.

***

"Imagine a bio-weapon that can't be traced, where the victim dies of completely natural – normal – causes. That lady and gentleman is exactly what I'm offering, it can't be used for mass destruction, but for an assassination, it's utter perfection." Dovidi's voice was cajoling, entrancing, his tone capturing his audience's attention almost more then his words. "I realized that you would require a demonstration, before we proceed however I realize that because it lacks the ability to become widespread that because of this some of you may have already lost interest. That being the case, feel free to leave now."

At his words five people, two men and three women arose. Mentally Sarah recorded their faces, when she got back to work, the information she obtained might just be useful. As the six left (their bodyguards having gone with them) A sudden chill ran down Sarah's spine she said 'when' with confidence, but the word she should have used was 'if'. For the first time, she feared Kenneth Irons, or more accurately the situation he had entrapped her into. She was getting panicky, she could feel it, and for a reason she couldn't define. Suddenly a warm surged through her, she sensed that it came from the Witchblade, it was as much trying to ground her as it was warning her. This was neither the time nor the place to loose her cool. As she centered herself, she felt Irons take her hand, and looking at him, she saw questions in his eyes, not giving him an inch she removed her hand as calmly and coolly as she could, suppressing a shudder as she did so.

From where he sat, Dovidi again ceased the attention of all. "Now then, allow me to call upon our test subject." He counted eleven people, which meant ten possible buyers. As he called signaled one of his men to call someone his met Irons, and a flash of grim satisfaction flew between. In that moment both Sarah and Luka knew that before the hour was out, someone would die.

***

Onica didn't know whether to laugh at Erik or believe him. If the tale he told was true, then Dovidi had been feeding her lies and deception. In her heart she began to feel sick and revolted. Not wanting to believe she did the only thing she could. "Give me proof." Erik watched her for a long moment before complying with her demand From somewhere within his clothing he retrieved a six by six screen no more then half a centimeter thick. As if by Magic it flicked on when he handed it to her. At a round table, twelve people sat, of those people she recognized four: Kenneth Irons, Sarah Pezzini, Luka Giamano, and Dovidi D'angitino. 

As she watched a woman was dragged into the room, she was blindfolded and gagged, her wrists bound together as were her ankles. She was made to stand as a man came up behind her and injected something into the base of her neck. Immediately he removed the gag and blindfold, then untied her arms and legs. Stepping back, he gave her a moment to look around, fear clear in her eyes. Those at the table watched her intently as if studying something in a specimen jar. To her horror Onica recognized the woman as the senior file clerk that mocked herself and Dovidi nearly three days ago. Then suddenly the woman's eyes rolled and se began to spasm violently. "She's having a seizure." The words were whispered, but they carried the repugnance that unpleasant truths often bring. For nearly a minute more the spectacle continued, then at last the woman fell. A man from beyond the range of the camera appeared an put his fingers to her neck. After a few heartbeats, he looked to an unknown man at the table.

"She's dead sir." Handing the screen back to Erik, Onica was resolved. She had almost fallen for the same trick her mother had, Dovidi was no better then Kenneth Irons.

Her eyes filled with cold steel, and heart with resolve. "What do we do?"


	33. Countdown

Chap 32 Countdown

Sarah was sick to her stomach, disgusted with herself for having just sat there as Dovidi committed murder. Around her the various men and women discussed possibilities and prices. As the time passed she was oblivious to it all, for her a blink of the eye caused two hours to pass, and the time went from nine to eleven am. Sure that there was a meaning to it, she smiled at Kenneth and excused herself claiming a headache. When he raised an eyebrow at her, she flashed the Witchblade at him and hoped that he wouldn't ask for anymore explanation.

As she neared the door Ian came towards it as well and for a moment she feared he would come with her, however all he did was open the door for her and as she left she 'heard' him in her mind. _Find Callie, she needs you._ It phased her for less then a second, but when she snapped back to her self she knew that it was within her power to do the same. 

***

When the knock came on Onica's door, fear for Erik surged through her; in her sparsely furnished office there was little space to hide him. Glancing about franticly, he found a filing cabinet in the corner that let some space between itself and one wall. Quickly he hid there as Onica moved to answer the door, silently berating Karen for not being where she was needed. Secretaries were supposed to be for finding clever ways to get out of unpleasant meetings. So where on earth was hers?

When she opened the door she was startled to see that Sarah was the one who stood waiting. "What on earth are you - ?" Before she could finish Sarah had pushed her indoors and followed discreetly behind as well. For a second she was puzzled, but then the scene from earlier came back to her. 

"Listen Callie, there isn't time for me to explain things fully but there are things you need to know. The first is that I do NOT work for your father. When we met I was a police officer working undercover." Conveniently she left out the fact that she had been attempting to take Luka down. "I needed your father influence and suffice to say he provided it. I'm in New Zealand because my partner is dead and your father used the excuse to con me here, he's only recently healed from the injury's you dealt him four months ago and needed me to be his front man until he was able to appear in public again." She paused for a breath and to make sure that Callie was getting all of this.

"Since I'm here anyway I've decided to help Luka take down a rather powerful arms dealer named Dovidi D'angitino. He has something that belongs to Luka, something that needs to be destroyed." For a second Callie seemed unsure of what to say. But in a second she decided, Sarah and Luka both needed her help, and if Erik wanted her to work in his plans he'd have to agree to some new provisions.

"I can help."

"How"

Callie searched Sarah' eyes for a second, and then decided. "You'll know when the time comes, just remember, when it does, do what you came to do." The answer was vague, and Sarah wanted more information, but both the Witchblade and her heart told her to trust Callie. 

"Done." She turned to leave, but a hand on her arm stopped her. She raised an eyebrow and Callie smiled a bittersweet smile.

"I'm sorry I doubted you Sarah. There hasn't been a lot in my life for to have faith in." A moment passed the meanings in their eyes too intense for Erik to name. The moment passed, and oddly they hugged quickly before Sarah left. When again he reemerged Onica turned to him, with new determination in her eyes.

"New Plan, if do this, Luka Giamano is out of the picture. If his name is so much as mentioned, your witness and your evidence is gone." He could tell she was serious, the threat was there in her eyes, and not seeing any other option he agreed. "Good." Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was almost time. "Half an hour until my entrance. Two until it's time."

Returning to her desk she began working again, a futile effort since in a few hours this company would no longer be functioning. He felt himself slipping away from her, and even disappear from her awareness. The time was coming, and already the calm before the storm was fading.

~~~

Hi all! This is a message to warn you that the final few chapters might be a while in coming because they will all be posted together. Thank you for baring with me through this entire story, we're in the home stretch and it won't be long now till this is done. It may be awhile until I finish the trilogy however, there are other obligations which I have to face. The next story might come in time to fill that lull before may sweeps if all goes well in reality.


	34. Endgame

Happy Holidays! And my apologies for the amount of time this has taken. Enjoy.

33 - Endgame

In the meeting room only Dovidi, Irons, Sarah, Luka, and Parsigie remained. The others had all left, Irons and Parsigie had raised the price amongst themselves so that only those with the deepest pockets could even consider the purchase. Luka had so far remained silent, and while his reason for being there was lost to Parsigie it was not to Dovidi and Irons. That bio-weapon was the only thing keeping his family out of the origination. And even though the power of the underworld now lay in the hands of the Russians, there was still a constant threat from the Italian Mafia. As the men discussed money and haggled over the weapon, Sarah found herself growing bored, just as she was about to join in the conversation, Luka's cell rang and after checking who the call was from quickly left the room.

Once he was gone, Sarah did not give the others a chance to begin their conversation. "Mr. D'angitino, a question?" The three other people in the room looked up, so far she had been more then quiet, and in the perception of Parsigie, not a serious threat to his gaining possession of the virus. "I want to know if there is an antidote. You're a selling a batch to us today – but what's to stop you from selling it to an enemy of mine and using it on me?" Irons almost kicked him self for not having thought of that, or more accurately, for having underestimating Dovidi. There wasn't anything to stop him from doing that, and without an antidote in his hands, whoever bought the damn stuff was just as susceptible to it as his prey.

"Antidote?" Clearly the others in the room were as startled as Irons. "There is one… but it's not for sale at present.

"Not for sale? Or you don't have it?" Sarah taunted him, but she kept a bit of sarcasm in her tone as well. She knew that if she spoke to seriously he would know she was asking because of Luka. The thought also ran through Dovidi's mind, Luka not being there would make telling easier, but what was to stop her from telling Luka? It was almost like a game of black jack, the virus was the chips the antidote or lack of one was black ace, Onica was his wild card. Did he let Sarah call? Or did he raise on her?

"Lets just say that it's within my grasp shall we?" Dovidi had side stepped the question, but he had also accomplished Sarah's purpose for her: Parsigie now doubted Dovidi.

~

"You know Gorgio, you've got lousy timing." Luka knew that this call was important but of all the things to be interrupted from this meeting was probably one of Gorgio's less fortunate mistakes.

"Do I now? Well then you'll have to pardon me for thinking that finding Callie might be on your list of priorities little brother, because I've just found her." On the other end of the line Luka was dead silent, thinking of Dovidi's pictures of Callie, wondering if she'd been working for the enemy all along. Misjudging Luka's silence, Gorgio continued. "I found her looking up that guy you couldn't find. I hacked into the email account of a contact of his and accidentally found this file on an 'Onica Kohl' Only the photo was of Callie. The file listed discrepancies between her file and her reality. She's apparently working at Excelsior Enterprises New Zealand Division and has no idea what the D'angitinos really do. The file defines her as 'questionable' but 'clean'." On the other end there was merely silence, followed by a click 

***

"Callie?" Luka started dumbly at Callie, caught completely off guard they stood facing each other, each reminding the other of a deer caught in headlights. Luka couldn't tell what he was feeling, the shock had never been an issue – one way or another he had known for days now that Callie was here. wanted to accuse her of betrayal and abandonment, to beg atonement for not having come after her sooner, to simply hold her. After what seemed like long moments, the third won out and striding forward he put his arms around her and held her close. "Thank god." Was whispered softly into her ear.

__

Thank God? Callie fought down confusion and tears, standing numbly in the circle of his arms. _Does that mean he doesn't hate me? _It had never occurred to her that he might actually forgive her for everything that had happened. Always she had thought that he would despise her knowing that she had run off when he needed her, that she had let him suffer the wrath for her actions. _He doesn't hate me!_ As the words leapt into her mind, relief leapt into her heart and she melted into his arms. Breaking the embrace she backed away, reminding her self that business came first. "There's no time for this."

"But…" Luka attempted to stop her, but she hushed him in her usual way by placing a finger to her lips. She acted as if everything was at it had been as if the last four months could simply be erased while he didn't even know where they stood. It was all so odd, yet all so typical, as if they had never parted.

"Please Luka," Her tone was pleading, her eyes confused. "Sarah's told me why you're here. In an hours time or so something's going to happen. When the critical moment comes, do what you came to then leave. Leave Luka, it's the only way I can protect you." 

"Will I see you again?" The pain was obvious in his eyes; somehow it felt as if they were parting once again. She couldn't reassure him, after this she would have to leave New Zealand. He too would have to go, she couldn't assure him that this wasn't goodbye simply because she didn't know. Even so, he saw his answer in her eyes. Nodding painfully, he turned around to go back into the meeting room, but was stopped by her hand on his arm.

"Never forget I love you?" It was a statement, but the way she said as if it were a question. He wasn't sure he could answer her, so without answering he simply walked on. When he entered the meeting room, he could just barely bring himself back to being the somber composed gentlemen he was masquerading. The room was tense when he entered, attention – even scrutiny was now focused on Dovidi.

"My, I seem to have missed something." A raised eyebrow was all that they cared to reply.

***

The clock was ticking, an hour and a half was left until things were supposed to go down – normally Erik was coldly calm during these long waits. He wasn't this time – and he felt it. Inwardly he knew, knew that it was just one of the many signs of late that he'd lost his edge. The truth was he'd lost it with his last assignment, when he'd let human emotion get in the way of his judgement. He had promised Callie earlier that he would let Luka go – a promise that he was forbidden to make – a promise that at one time, he never would have, but somewhere along the line, rules and training had all been lost. He had grown weak and couldn't do his job – and that made worthless. More so it made him dangerous. As he sat in the dark, he made the decision he had long put off. One way or another _this _would be his final assignment.

***

Luka had taken his seat for less then ten minutes when Callie entered the room. It threw him off for a moment – but because they had spoken earlier, it did not send him into an all out panic. Across the table Irons hissed visibly, glaring daggers at Dovidi. When she saw her father Callie's step faltered, but forcing herself forward, she did what she had come to. Gluing on her most charming smile she turned to Dovidi and handed him a report. "I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting sir – but I'm afraid that this is of the utmost importance. It needs to be sent out by three this afternoon." Dovidi took it, brushing his hand against hers as he did so, it could've been an accident but both Kenneth and Luka was sure it wasn't as annoyance flashed in both their eyes. Sarah thought the scene comical, and Parsigie suspicious, but none save Luka saw it for what it was, Dovidi was threatening him, show them that he held the cards. 

It occurred to both Luka and Kenneth that Dovidi must know something more of the past then he was letting on. Knowledge is a dangerous thing, and as Irons always said to know is to name, to name is to control. And the last thing he wanted was for Dovidi to gain control. 

As soon as Callie was gone Kenneth shot Sarah a look that she interpreted as 'go along with this', when she nodded he turned to Dovidi. "Mr. D'angitino would you mind breaking for lunch? Sarah doesn't seem to be well. I'd like to make sure she's fit to continue." His words were accompanied by his most charming smile – but it wasn't difficult for Dovidi to see that refusal was not acceptable. Nodding he stood up.

"Of course, we'll resume in an hour." As they all filed out, Irons made a show of being concerned for Sarah, who in turn fringed illness. At last, as if it had just occurred to him, he called Ian to come take care of her while he went to ask Dovidi if there was a doctor about.

The moment he walked out the door Sarah lost any sign of being the least bit ill. _Lets Go_ was relayed into Ian's mind. He was surprised though, the Witchblade had already begun to swirl before she spoke, that must mean that Callie was using it as well. For the first time it occurred to him that two women simultaneously channeling the Witchblade was a dangerous thing, and that if things went on the way the were one or more of it's current welders would be in very serious peril.

***

Dovidi knew something was coming the moment Irons called for a break in the negotiations. Not knowing what was going on, he could only go to his office and wait, minutes ticked by and a thousand possibility's went through his head – most of them were unpleasant. At last the door opened and a fairly upset Irons entered. He emitted a very cold hostility and it wasn't difficult for Dovidi to realize that he had severely miscalculated something.

"Tell me everything you know about that girl who was just in that meeting." For a second Dovidi didn't get it – what on earth did Onica have to do with anything?

"Her name is Onica Kohl, she's a graduate of Colombia University who has recently come to work for me. She is head of my Public Affairs department and greatly resembles Luka Giamano's former fiancé Calliope DeLancie. The point of having her there today was to shake him up." Dovidi said it as if it were the most obvious, normal thing in the world, but he knew by Irons stance that there was information he'd been missing.

It was visible that he was physically restraining himself from lashing out. In fact his teeth were clenched so that his words came out gruff and cold. "Onica Kohl doesn't _look like_ Calliope DeLancie. She **_is _**Calliope DeLancie." He looked hard at Dovidi then continued. "In fact, the woman that you were dangling about like some pawn in a chess game was **_my_** daughter." In the ensuing silence Dovidi gulped visibly. This was one mistake that he'd most definitely pay the price for.

***

Parsigie didn't like this situation one bit, there were too many things he was being kept in ignorance of. Signaling his bodyguard he headed for Dovidi's office. As he did so he spied Sarah Pezzini and Irons bodyguard rounding the corner. Immediately he made up his mind. Something was transpiring, but he wasn't about to stick around and find out what. 

***

From where he sat by the surveillance equipment Jake saw Parsigie moving and grew alarmed. It wasn't time for them to act just yet, they had enough info, a murder on Dovidi D'angitino and intent to buy a lethal substance on Parsigie, but it wasn't enough to get more then one of them a life sentence. As he pondered the situation it wasn't difficult for him to realize that waiting any longer would be dangerous. Making a decision he gave the signal to mobilize. As the others got into place he hoped and prayed that he'd made the right choice – and that Sarah would get away without incident.

***

Callie's cell phone rang but she ignored it. When it stopped after only two rings she knew it was Erik's signal. Rising quickly, she grabbed he gun from her briefcase – anything that might identify her she had removed from the computer – anything personal had been moved into her car. Anything else was irrelevant. Quickly she headed for Dovidi's office. Once again she used the Witchblade, simultaneously sending a flash of warning to Ian and Luka, and for a brief moment her mind was bridged to Sarah's. Each knew what the other would do, and each would act accordingly. Never once did it occur to them that what there were doing shouldn't be possible, and never once did eminent danger cross their minds.

***

Dana tapped nervously on Dovidi's door, she was hesitant to be the on bearing bad news, but there wasn't anything else for her to do. When she heard Dovidi say enter she went in and closed the door behind her. "I'm sorry sir… but there seem to be a lot of police and other… law enforcement outside – and more seem to be on their way." When Dovidi heard her he cursed. Irons who was in the room as well grabbed his arm. "Find my daughter – I'm not leaving without her." Hissing he nodded and the two men quickly left the room, having dismissed her presence the moment she'd delivered her message neither noticed that Dana still stood there.

***

Luka felt a sudden sense of urgency as he headed back to the meeting room, a moment later this was confirmed when Irons and Dovidi rushed by in the direction of Callie's office. Hoping this was what Callie meant by the 'critical moment' he moved towards Dovidi's office. He'd memorized the combination to the safe long ago.

When he got to the door, the closest person was a woman disappearing around the corner, quickly he moved into the room and went to the safe, when he opened the door there were only five vials. "Damn." He wanted to look for the sixth, but the sirens outside warned him otherwise. Grabbing them he put them into a briefcase that was meant to handle just that, and headed for the door, he'd have to find Sarah and Callie – but the question now was time. Before he reached it however, Callie came in. Without asking a question she handed him keys and a gun.

"My cars parked two blocks away. Get Sarah and Ian then get out of here. Head for the states." He took the keys and the gun, but didn't move. He didn't have to say a word Callie knew his questions – would this be good-bye again? She gave him one of her melancholy smiles and kissed him softly. "Go!" He separated himself from her – but still he was hesitant to leave. "Go now!" At last he went, leaving Callie to herself and whatever fate had in store for her. 

***

Sarah already knew that Luka and Callie would handle the other end of their situation. For now however, she and Ian had something else to take care of, if Callie would handle Luka's safety then she would handle what Callie still needed to do. Running, she met Dovidi and Kenneth before they reached the second floor, and in a moment she was armored. "You're not going anywhere." Irons seeing her intent backed away, beckoning Ian to him, the two slipped away silently as shadows. Ian knew Callie was safe, now he had to tend to his master.

Dovidi glanced at Sarah as if she were a minor annoyance, grabbing his gun he shot at her, only to find his bullet bouncing off of a gauntlet that had magically materialized on her arm. Trying again and finding the same thing to happen he panicked and ran. Too closely behind him however was Sarah. As they made their way towards the lobby both heard the sound of sirens wailing, Dovidi was running out of options, and most likely running out of time.

***

Erik left concealment the moment Onica was notified and went after Parsigie immediately. "Freeze!" His yell was ignored and Parsigie ran, leaving his bodyguard to deal with the cop. Erik didn't blink but fired. Only to find his bullet met in mid air by another. He fired again to the same effect, and would've soon found himself fighting hand to hand if Dovidi hadn't come down the stairs at that exact moment firing blindly with Sarah close behind him. A bullet went stray and caught the bodyguard in his upper arm. The fraction of a second was all Erik needed to get away and go after Parsigie. As Sarah disarmed and apprehended Dovidi and Parsigie's bodyguard the face of the man who had left flashed through her mind as resembling Jake – the hair was the wrong color, and the man wore a slight beard, but the resemblance was there. As she was about to go after him Callie came down the stairs.

"I'll take care of these too. Luka's waiting for you downstairs, you'd better leave." Sarah nodded but hesitated to move, seeing this Callie said the only thing she could think of. "He's not going to go without you Sarah, please just leave." She was pleading and Sarah knew it, not seeing another option she gave Callie a hug then ran off. When she was gone Erik came back hauling Parsigie with him. A moment later the building was flooded with police. Across the melee she glanced at Erik and met his eyes. They told her that it was done, that this game was over.

***

Sarah and Luka headed for the other end of the Island as things went down at Excelsior Enterprises. Luka had already told her what had happened with the vials, they both knew that they would never find the sixth vial. As they destroyed the five vials that they had gained possession of they knew that though the immediate danger was over, the threat would always be immanent, always hanging just over the horizon, waiting to once again ensnare them.

***

"Did you get it?" Irons question was cold, and over the crackling of the fire it sounded almost contemplative, the figure that stood behind him was stiff, but he could tell that she was proud of something.

"Yes sir." She handed Ian the Vial, knowing that because she had never before been allowed to see the face of her boss that she should not attempt to touch him either. 

"It's the one." Ian confirmed this with disinterest, then shot the woman between her eyes before handing the weapon to Irons. It saddened him that this was what Kenneth truly cared for, that it was not care for Callie or Sarah that had motivated him but the desire for control. 

"Then it seems that again I've gained a victory." Irons grinned, icy and frightening as Dana lie dead in a pool of her own blood. And though the scene was macabre it didn't seem to bother either one of the rooms live occupants. _You have won,_ Ian thought, _but for victory you have lost all who might have loved you. _It was a sorrowful thought, and as he thought it Ian learned what it was to pity.

~~~

The End?

Nope, wait until next year and you'll get a rather more resolved epilogue – that is of course, assuming I receive reviews. J 

Calypso (Going to bed so she can get up at five tomorrow for the start of her vacation)


End file.
